Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson has traction, whether it’s the feeling of nostalgia attached to it or the concerns arising out of it. The fight has seized headlines ever since it was announced, and the fans have worriedly pointed out the troubled recent health past of the former world heavyweight champion. Additionally, some tout it as a gross mismatch between the two athletes at different ends of their professional careers: ‘The Problem Child’ is only entering his prime, whereas ‘Iron Mike’s exploits are a tale of legend now. Therefore, it begs the question, however unsettling it is for some hardcore fans, whether Tyson is set for failure.

The slated fight’s speculations also find their mention when our esteemed host, Trey Holder, lists out the potential future spectacles that might entertain fans, including the Noah Lyles vs. Tyreek Hill sprint contest. But for Holder, who has been fascinated with the sweet science for a long time, it also includes the upcoming Paul vs. Tyson bout in the fall. So, he dishes out an interesting question to our guest, Doug Sanders—what does he think is going to happen in the fight?

Sanders, who himself is a huge boxing fan and witnessed Tyson dismantle opponents with sheer power, makes a candid confession. The Sanders SE founder admits he would hate to see his idol have a possible bad night in the office. He says, “Man, you know, being a fan of boxing, I would hate to see Tyson go out on a bad, bad note. In a bad note, meaning, maybe Paul got the best of him, right?”

However, Sanders has already made peace with the fight. In particular, he is ready to look at the silver lining—the influx of new fans. How is that happening? Sanders, who understands the minute details of promoting an event because of his association with NBA and NFL athletes, explains how Paul, 27, will bring in his audience along with him. Paul’s large following and fan base are also the reason crossover boxing has achieved mainstream status.

Expressing his excitement about the Paul vs. Tyson fight, Sanders continues, “I’m okay with the elevation and visibility around it and taking in the audience of the Pauls, which is great. Because then it brings in new fans. Hopefully to the whole sport. But it’s also like, dag on! That’s one of the greats. Does he have to be in that? What’s that gonna look like?” Following this, Sanders lets his true boxing fan self come out as he talks about what he would like to see in this much-anticipated fight scheduled on Netflix in November.

Doug Sanders hopes Mike Tyson turns back the clock against Jake Paul

Sanders is keeping his fingers crossed for an entertaining, explosive fight. But he also wants Tyson, 58, to land a few heavy blows on his opponent. He adds, “I mean, hopefully, it’s fun. We know it’s entertaining, right? They’ve done such an incredible job. But I would like to see Paul get hit a couple [of] times by Tyson.”

This comment also resonates with Holder, who doesn’t want Tyson to face the brunt of the hard punches. But the conversation also sends him down memory lane, when he used to play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out video game. Sharing his own honest take and giving us a snippet of his younger days, Holder reveals, “Oh, me too, man. It’ll be devastating to me a little bit. Man, I remember playing Mike Tyson Punch-Out when we were growing up. Man, you know, that was the game. My thumbs would be hurting, you know.”

Hence, for both Sanders and Holder, the Paul vs. Tyson fight is a plunge into nostalgia. At the same time, they appreciate its marketing and business side. Like millions, they will also watch the bout with eyes glued to the screen. All they hope is for their childhood idol to have a good fight and throw some powerful shots. As for Tyson, he is already high on energy as he recently went on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote the bout with the YouTube star – “Oh, I’m going to be so high off life, yea,” is the emotion Mike Tyson carried on the show, leaving the crowd chuckling with his statement.

In this episode, Dough Sanders also dissects the growing implications of the NCAA’s transfer market and his experience working with Bobby Wagner. He also shares his useful insights into the role of social media in the growth of NFL players and expanding their revenue base. To grab it all, watch the full interview!

EssentiallySports Think Tank initiative made all of this possible. The Think Tank aims to accumulate the greatest minds in sports and bring them directly to you. Taking hold of the reins, host and innovator Trey Holder engages in candid conversations with the guests to reveal every detail you would need to grow and learn about leadership and performance. This is EssentiallySports Think Tank—Where Sports Meets Smart Content.