Mike Tyson Walked With a Cane: Stephen A. Smith Is Not Buying Jake Paul vs. ‘Iron’ Hype

On July 20th, inside the AT&T Stadium, Texas, Mike Tyson will return against Jake Paul. Since Tyson feels Jake Paul has grown significantly as a boxer over the years, he believes it will be “fun” to test Paul’s ambition and will. Additionally, as the 27-year-old started his pro journey on the undercard of Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr., the 57-year-old hopes to “finish him” in a “full circle moment“. But, analyst Stephen A. Smith is concerned about Tyson’s safety.

On the Stephen A. Smith Show, the 56-year-old highlighted the fact that Tyson has been walking with a cane. Therefore, despite understanding the hype around Paul vs. Mike, Smith was worried Tyson would be seriously hurt.

Stephen A. Smith fails to see Mike Tyson against an opponent 30 years younger than him

A certain section of the boxing community has been buzzing with anticipation since Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul was announced. On the other hand, adding hype to the upcoming fight, Jake Paul’s manager Nakisa Bidarin called Paul vs. Tyson a once-in-a-lifetime dream matchup. In addition, Bidarin even foresees the match to be the most-watched boxing event in history. However, Stephen A. Smith is not buying the hype. “I confess to you [that] I can’t buy the hype at this particular moment in time.”

“Daniel Cormier told me the last time he saw Mike Tyson was when Mike Tyson last year walked into a UFC fight, walking with a cane. It’s hard for me to believe that somebody walking into an arena with a cane is going to be in the kind of shape necessary to go up against somebody 30 years younger,” said Stephen A. Smith.

In this context, it must also be mentioned that besides being sighted with a cane several times, Tyson also suffered from sciatica. Due to the latter, Tyson had to leave Miami International Airport in a wheelchair in 2022. Later, he even explained how the condition interfered with his ability to talk. Anyway, before concluding, Smith mentioned what Jake Paul should do given he wishes to take boxing seriously.

Stephen A. Smith instructs Jake Paul to fight a boxer of his age

Stephen A. Smith lauded Jake Paul for taking the fight against Mike Tyson. “It’s Mike Tyson, that’s fine. It’s a money fight, I get you,” said Smith. However, he hoped ‘The Problem Child’ would take his career as a boxer seriously at some point in time. “If you keep telling us that you’re taking boxing seriously, you gon’ have to fight somebody closer to your age. Somebody who is a contender at the very least in the sport,” he added.

Read More – Mike Tyson Urged to Preserve Legacy Over Jake Paul Fight – Fans Outline Several Reasons to Not “Sign the Contract”

“You don’t have to fight Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez. But, you are going to have to fight a bonafide legitimate fighter,” he concluded. With that said, do you agree with Stephen A. Smith? In your opinion, should Tyson fight Paul? Let us know in the comments below.

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