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When they fight on July 20, Mike Tyson will be 58, and Jake Paul will be 27. The age difference of 31 years has become a bone of contention for many. Ever since the announcement of a fight between the youngest heavyweight champion in history and the YouTuber-turned-boxer came, questions have been raised over the fight’s appropriateness. Not that fights, where a marked age difference between the belligerents existed, never occurred in the past. Nevertheless, in the Tyson-Paul fight, there’s an additional concern about ring rust.

‘The Problem Child’, who made his professional debut in January 2020, has been active ever since. Last year, he participated in three matches. ‘Iron’ Mike, on the other hand, since his retirement in 2005 has been sporadic in terms of exhibition fights. After a non-scoring bout in 2006, the next one, against Roy Jones Jr., came fourteen years later, on November 28, 2020. No one doubts Mike Tyson’s prowess inside the ring. However, advancing age and absence from the ring are factors that cannot be easily ignored either. When the discussion about the fight came up in his podcast, former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall, a six-time NFL Pro Bowl star, spoke up.

The ‘Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’ award recipient stated right away, “Y’all might clown me, but I don’t see Mike Tyson really fighting and also having a chance.” He just couldn’t fathom it, Marshall shared. From a legacy perspective, he understands that he is talking about none other than ‘Iron’ Mike. The once ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’, whose one stare was enough to send shivers down the spine of the hardest of men. But the fact remains that he is now almost sixty years old.

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He is 60,” Brandon Marshall said. Hence, under the current circumstances, the 6-time NFL Pro Bowl star said he might even rate himself better than Tyson! He added, “And Jake Paul been doing this for what how many years he’s been training? It is a show.

Former world champion and Hall of Fame inductee Carl Froch also voiced similar view on his podcast, ‘Froch on Fighting’. He said, “I stumbled across the news that Jake Paul is fighting the legend the icon Mike Tyson… I just thought this cannot be happening; you can’t be putting a mid 20 a guy in his mid 20s in against a guy that’s approaching 60 years old.

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul: A Boxing Match It Is, However,….

The bout has already been through a few rounds of doubts and questions over its conduct. Initially, rumors came about the use of headgear by both fighters. However, that seems to have gotten allayed as Jake Paul himself addressed the issue and denied such a protocol.

Later, fans came across an alleged set of rules assigned for the fight as well. It includes: the use of 16-ounce gloves; each round to be 2 minutes each; instead of the standard 3 minutes, there won’t be any official judges; there won’t be a winner in the bout unless there’s a knockout. Finally, both boxers need to undergo EEG (electroencephalography) and EKG (electrocardiography) tests.

However, given the update on the fight organizers trying to get the fight sanctioned as a regular professional bout, some of the rules come across as conflicting. It seems there was separate communication clarifying the same.

Most Valuable Promotions’ Nakisa Bidarian also shared a post where he addressed the followers directly. He said, “Breaking News: There’s no news. Stop spreading fake news. There’s no truth to all this stuff around Jake Paul-Mike Tyson.” Then he spoke at length about Mike Tyson’s fitness level, the ‘fake’ ticket sale, and revealed the number of people who had signed up to purchase tickets.

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Those who wish to see the fight happen would prefer viewing it without any hassles. While issues and concerns do seem to crop up from time to time, organizers too appear to be making efforts to address those and allay any apprehensions.

Also Read: MVP Denies Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul No Winner Unless Knockout Rule

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Do you find yourself agreeing with Marshall’s assessment? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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