I have to doff my hat to this kid, Jake Paul. From a YouTube personality who one day decided to try his hand in boxing to generate more interest in his social media presence, he has morphed into a legitimate fighter, with an upside of having a multitudinous fan base owing to the facility of social media He has now trained his eyes on none other than Mike Tyson, one of boxing’s true icons with their bout penciled to take place at the AT&T Center in Dallas Texas on July 20.
TYSON. Now, we all know what Tyson brings to the table. Pure unadulterated power coupled with killer instincts fueling every punch. But let’s face it, he’s also 58 years of age.
The last time he stepped into a boxing ring, he faced off against another ring legend in Roy Jones Jr. Before the turn of the century, this was a boxing fan’s dream match-up. But when it happened some two decades later, it turned out to be a nightmarish encounter for both.
The bout featured lots of holding and hugging, and it was described to be not unlike a fight between two drunken uncles at a family barbeque.
PAUL. I think Paul turned the corner when he fought Tommy Fury.
He lost a decision but it was a good close fight against a professional boxer. Of course, Tommy holds no candle against his brother Tyson, the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, but at least Paul held his end of the bargain.
MATCHUP. I think this plays out well for a few rounds. In actuality, Mike Tyson at 58 will be Mike Tyson at 58, slow but dangerous with his power.
You can actually substitute Paul with just about any other pro fighter with less than 10 fights to his name, and that’s Jake Paul. He will have youth and vitality on his side, he has decent power and decent boxing skills. That’s that.
If Tyson catches him, it will be lights out. But if he survives, he will have the chance to outbox and outpoint an old and ancient Tyson.
TIM TSZYU. Watch out for this kid. The surname should seem familiar as he is none other than the son of former welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu who terrorized the junior welterweight division at the turn of the millenium.
He fights like his old man, and has concussive power on both hands.
He will defend his WBO crown against Sebastian Fondura (20-1, 13KOs) today who stands at a towering 6-foot-5. This is an interesting match-up featuring top tier fighters in the junior middleweight division.
LAST ROUND. It’s on a dear friend and one of my favorite chefs, Nini Gonzales-Gaite who celebrates her birthday this week. Cheers!