Impressed by “70 Million” Reach, Mike Tyson’s Brutally Honest Take on Jake Paul’s Skills Resurfaces

Though it’s still four months away, the run-up to the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul fight has witnessed one promotional story after another. A few hours ago, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) shared a throwback video of Tyson. In a discussion with Jimmy Kimmel, the youngest heavyweight champion talks about Paul, especially his stature in boxing.

Despite the intrigue it offers, the fight has attracted a fair share of criticism. The 30-year age gap between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul seems to have shocked quite a few. However, both camps, for now, seem serious about proceeding with the match, often sharing training clips and other promotional posts with fans and followers. ‘The Problem Child’ joins the fight following first-round knockout wins over Ryan Bourland and Andre August. ‘Iron’ Mike, on the other hand, though retired long ago in 2005, last fought an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.

A Vintage Gem: Mike Tyson Endorsing Jake Paul

The footage taken from ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ seemingly pertains to an episode from 2022. Kimmel asks, “You think he that he (Jake Paul) is skilled enough to make it uh something that you might actually want to do?” The former heavyweight champion replies in the affirmative. “He’s skilled enough; yes, I’m gonna give it to him, he’s skilled enough,” he said.

The reason, he purports, is that Jake Paul is essentially winning and scoring victories against fighters who many consider less proficient. That being said, Tyson thinks that these fighters should have at least beaten ‘The Problem Child’. Or, to put it another way, he is taking care of fighters whom he shouldn’t have been able to defeat in the first place. “He’s beating people that he really should not be beating, right?” Tyson asks.

Then he further added how Jake Paul has been contributing to boxing’s cause.

Jake Paul’s Trailblazing Impact on the Sport

Where even bona fide champions fail to muster a reasonable following, Jake Paul has managed to pull around 70 million people. Hence, no one should question his intentions, Mike Tyson reasoned, while saying, “He’s doing so much good for boxing. this is listen this guy got 70 million people following him every time he fights. Right, yeah, the champions in the world don’t have that many people following them, so what he’s doing the boxing is just sensational; no one should be hating on that.”

MVP’s usage of the video could be promotional-driven. However, there’s no denying where Jake Paul has reached since the video first appeared on YouTube. Long chastised for avoiding genuine boxers, he started taking on professionals in the sport. However, questions still remain over the kind of opponents he has been picking—old, semi-retired boxers. But, the effort Jake Paul has made to push himself towards future boxing rankings and, who knows, even a championship, merits appreciation.

Read More: Mike Tyson’s Purse for Jake Paul Boxing Bout Spilled by UFC Veteran Henry Cejudo

What’s your take on the discussion? Do you think Jake Paul is skilled enough to take on a former heavyweight champion, a genuine boxing great? Let us know in the comments.

Also Read: Jake Paul Gets Mike Tyson Face Tattoo to Promote Netflix Boxing Fight on 20th July