Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is mere days away from his mega-fight against social media star Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In the meantime, former WBC heavyweight champion and ‘Iron’ Mike’s namesake, Tyson Fury, has shared a surprising perspective on the cross-generational bout. 

The 58-year-old will step into the ring four years after his exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr. back in 2020, which ended in a split decision draw. However, considering the Paul-Tyson fight is a professional bout, Tyson’s last professional fight was back in 2005 against Kevin McBride, which he lost via 6th-round technical knockout. 

Meanwhile, ‘The Gypsy King’ has his own huge test ahead of him, as he prepares to exact revenge against WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on December 21st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The duo clashed back in May, which saw Usyk push Fury to his limits, even scoring a knockdown when he forced the Brit to stumble across the ring held up by the rope in the 9th round. 

Regardless, while appearing in an interview with Pro Boxing Fans recently, ‘The Gypsy King’ suggested that the fight is fantastic, and whoever has anything else to say might be jealous. “I think it’s a fantastic event,” Fury said. “Anyone who [doesn’t] think it’s a fantastic event is jealous. Mainly people who ain’t getting paid for it will be jealous… because it’s not them.”

It’s worth noting that there’s a growing concern among fans about Tyson’s health and ability to fight at 58. This was escalated further because of the ulcer flare-up during a cross-country flight Tyson suffered earlier this year. However, none of that seems to faze Tyson Fury, who blames jealousy behind the criticism.

“So, they’ve been probably being bad about it,” Fury added. “Obviously, I’m not involved in it. I’m not getting paid for it. But I can see a massive event on a large scale when I see it and I can appreciate that.” Fury further appreciated Tyson for brushing off the cobwebs to fight at his age while thanking Jake Paul for drawing new viewers to the sport of boxing. 

While Fury appreciated Mike Tyson, the latter seems to have snubbed Fury from his top five boxers. 

Mike Tyson reveals his top 5 boxers—Tyson Fury and others missing

‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ recently appeared in the Pound 4 Pound Kamaru Usman Henry Cejudo podcast, where he was asked about his top picks for boxers across all weight classes. Surprisingly, his list was missing the likes of Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Canelo Alvarez. So, who did he name? 

Tyson named David Benavidez, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Terence Crawford, and Errol Spence Jr. as his top picks. Benavidez, of course, continues his winning streak as he moved to a new weight division. Gervonta Davis has been dominating the lightweight division for a while now. Interestingly, Tyson was impressed with Stevenson’s skills and wanted to see a fight between Davis and Stevenson.

Meanwhile, Terence Crawford is on a quest to traverse multiple weight classes to square off against Canelo Alvarez. For Spence Jr., Tyson added, “I think Spence can come back and still get his title back. I think Spence is an underrated fighter.”

That said, Tyson Fury seems fully supportive of the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight later this month. While opinions are divided, there’s no denying it’s become one of the year’s most anticipated events. What’s your take—are you in favor, or would you pass on this one?