The fans have spoken, and Mike Tyson has Jake Paul beat on their cards. Both are set to collide on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. While pros and boxing pundits have different parameters to judge and pick a winner, the fans are not only swayed by the emotions they attach to a boxer, but also have a strategic pick. In a similar prediction by BetOnline, the fans residing in 8 US states have banked their faith in ‘The Problem Child’. So which states are these?

The boxing world is buzzing with the announcement of ‘Iron Mike’ making a return to the squared circle after three years. However, some are yet to make peace with the idea of a crossover boxer welcoming him. Despite hanging his gloves two decades ago, a majority of the fans see Tyson as the clear winner. So which states stand as an exception to the popular wave? Are there any shockers? Not really.

Home state charm of Jake Paul

Fightful.com’s Sean Ross Sapp turned to his X handle and gave fans the current public opinion of each state ahead of the anticipated fight. He wrote, “Per @BetOnline_ag, only 8 states think that Jake Paul will beat Mike Tyson.” Namely, those eight states are Oregon, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Ohio, West Virginia, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. The rest 42 of course went with Mike Tyson. But what about their home states?

Interestingly, Paul, 27, hails from Cleveland, and it was obvious that Ohio would pick a homegrown superstar. Similarly, New York shows a firm belief in their former world champion, despite him being the older boxer in the ring at 57. Amusingly, Fightful had earlier reported that BetOnline had Paul, at 9-1, a clear favorite with -300, compared to +240 on Tyson.

Despite those being early odds, the odds haven’t changed drastically since. Forbes notes that Bovada has Paul as a -225 favorite, with Tyson at +170. But the fight is still three months away, and those numbers could change as the fight night nears. Meanwhile, the opinions of many in the boxing world stand in contrast to these initial odds.

Read More: “Power That He’s Never Felt”: Fernando Vargas, Curmel Moton and Amado Vargas Make Their Pick Between Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

Boxing pros and legends have their picks for Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

Oscar De La Hoya believes Tyson, at 50-6, still packs a devastating power behind those punches. He told ESNews, “Tyson still has the punching power. The last thing to go till you’re in your grave, basically. Yeah, Tyson catches him with a good one. It’s obviously lights out for Jake Paul.”

The likes of Fernando Vargas, Curmel Moton, and Amado Vargas have also picked the former boxer for the same reason, brutal power and experience. Former world champion Sergio Mora predicts a knockout win for Paul, who has produced two first-round KOs in his last two fights. It remains to be seen whether Paul climbs up boxing’s hierarchy and puts on a competitive fight against his toughest opponent to date.

What do you make of this popular view about Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul? Who do you think will bag a win on July 20? Let us know in the comments below.

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