YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul has passionately defended his controversial decision to step into the ring with 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, despite the significant age gap between them.
Earlier this year, Paul's announcement that he would be fighting Tyson sent shockwaves through the sports world. However, the bout was postponed after Tyson suffered a mid-air medical emergency, pushing the fight back to November 15.
The match has sparked widespread criticism, with Paul's long-time rival, KSI, being one of the most vocal opponents. During an appearance on talkSPORT Breakfast, KSI did not hold back in expressing his disapproval. "I think it’s stupid," KSI said. "He’s trying to fight an OAP. He has no business fighting a man who can barely walk. He hasn’t fought in years. It just makes no sense, but it’s Jake Paul."
KSI continued, "For him, it’s all about trying to take advantage of people who don’t have an advantage, and it’s boring. I wish Netflix didn’t entertain it, but it is what it is. Yeah, I just think it’s ridiculous."
In response to the backlash, Paul addressed the criticism during an interview with talkSPORT MMA’s Gareth A. Davies at a PFL press conference in Washington, where he was promoting the Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira fight.
“I think it’s disrespectful to Mike, first and foremost,” Paul stated. "And then I would say to them, ‘Get in the ring with him.’ If Mike wants to fight, then Mike wants to fight. If he wants to make it a pro fight, then ‘Okay!’"
Paul went on to express his excitement about the match, saying, "I wanna fight Mike Tyson, that’s legendary. It’s an honor to be in the ring with him, and if he wants the fight to be a pro fight then, ‘Okay, let’s do it’.”
Although Tyson has not fought professionally since his 2005 defeat to Kevin McBride, Paul remains convinced that the former champion still possesses the same fearsome prowess. “You look at his training videos, look at him on the mitts, you look at him in person – he has a 30lb weight advantage and is giant strong," Paul added. "So, people can say what they want about it, but they are still going to watch.”
Paul concluded by acknowledging the generational divide in support for the fight. “I get the old guard and old people wanna see me lose," he said. "At the end of the day, that’s what makes this fight interesting—the two generations coming together. I think 30 years and older want Mike Tyson [to win], 25 and younger want me to win. That’s what makes it very interesting."
No comments:
Post a Comment