Anthony Joshua believes that Jake Paul has shot himself in the foot by taking up a fight with Mike Tyson – citing how nobody wants to see the boxing legend beat as he makes his comeback.
The ‘Problem Child’ was initially set to take on ‘Iron’ Mike back in July in a Netflix extravaganza, but Tyson was forced to pull out of the bout through medical concerns.
Instead, Paul fought former UFC star Mike Perry, adding a sixth-round TKO to his stellar 10-1 record. The 58-year-old has since been given the all-clear to compete, and he will now face Paul come November 15 in Arlington, Texas.
It will be Tyson’s first fight since his 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr which resulted in a draw after six rounds. The phenom – who has a professional record of 50-6-2(NC) – hasn’t fought professionally since his 2005 loss to Kevin McBride, a bout he ultimately lost through a sixth-round retirement.
Paul, meanwhile, has been making waves in the world of professional boxing over the last four years – besting former UFC stars like Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. His only loss came at the hands of Tommy Fury last February via split decision.
And while he will hope to achieve victory over Mike Tyson – who is thirty years his senior – this winter, hard-hitting heavyweight Joshua has picked a serious flaw in Paul taking on the fight against one of the sport’s biggest icons. Speaking back in 2020, AJ told The Sun that he would never take a bout with Tyson if it was offered to him, explaining: “With all due respect I wouldn’t.
“Even if I fought Iron Mike and beat him, I think I’d be the only one cheering. People would boo. He is a legend. He is the greatest boxer of the modern era. There are only two recognised champions the world knows of, [Muhammad] Ali and Mike Tyson — the most recognised faces in the world when it comes to boxing.”
A number of fight fans have shared their distaste for Paul taking a fight against Mike Tyson, including UFC fighter-turned-commentator Michael Bisping, who recently picked apart the pair’s press conference ahead of the bout. During the press conference, which took place in New York, Paul was met with a wave of boos before he responded: “Hey New York, you’re just like Mike Tyson – you were good 20 years ago. F*** you New York,” while gesturing his middle finger.
And Bisping was quick to challenge Paul on his choice words, explaining: “First of all, trash talk is terrible. All he can do is resort to going ‘F* you New York, f* you New York… you’re what Mike Tyson was, good 20 years ago’. Jake, I hate to point out the obvious, that makes you look pathetic. You just admitted that you’re going up against an old man – who is a legend of course, but he’s not that guy anymore.”
Elsewhere, Joshua takes on IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium this weekend, with his eyes firmly fixed on an undisputed shot against either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk should he reign supreme. Dubois will prove a tough task for 34-year-old AJ however, with a record of 21-2 and 20 career knockouts to his name.