Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has once again criticized the upcoming fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, labeling it as “dangerous, irresponsible and disrespectful to boxing”.
The contentious boxing match between the two celebrities is set to happen on Friday, November 15 in Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium with a potential audience of up to 90,000 spectators. ‘Iron Mike’ was initially slated to make his comeback against the social media star back in July. However, the 58 year old had to withdraw due to an inflamed ulcer.
Tyson’s last professional match was in 2005, where he faced defeat against Kevin McBride. The American’s most recent fight was in an exhibition against fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in 2020, held behind closed doors.
As for Paul, ‘The Problem Child’ has been quite active since his debut in 2020. The 27 year old triumphed over former UFC fighter Mike Perry in his latest match in July.
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The boxing community has been vocal in its criticism of the decision to proceed with the match. Prominent among those expressing concern is Hearn, who plans to attend the event at the AT&T Stadium to support Katie Taylor in her highly anticipated rematch against Amanda Serrano.
However, he insists he will depart before the main event. “We received a massive offer for Katie. I’m not going to tell her she’s not allowed to fight on that card,” he shared with BBC Sport. “Financially it’s the biggest purse of her career. I won’t be watching the main event. We’ll be there defending the belts, and then I’ll be off.”
Regarding the main event, Hearn expressed: “The reality is that 20 years ago when Mike Tyson retired from the sport he was shot, completely finished. It was actually sad to watch then, 20 years ago. I’m in awe of him – he’s one of my favourite ever fighters, one of the greatest of all time – but he’s a 58-year-old man. You only need to speak to him and look at him to know this guy should not be in a ring again.”
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set to fight on November 15 (
AP)
Since the bout’s confirmation, Paul has defended his decision to face Tyson despite their significant age gap, arguing that the Hall-Of-Famer’s experience balances the scales. Hearn, however, who initiated a defamation case against the YouTuber-turned-boxer after being accused of bribing boxing judges in 2022, vehemently disagrees with ‘The Problem Child’s’ remarks.
“If I was Jake Paul I’d just feel a little bit embarrassed to be honest with you. It’s a liberty,” Hearn remarked. “This is dangerous, irresponsible and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the sport of boxing.”
Reflecting on the scrapped initial match-up, Hearn thought that should’ve been the red flag indicating the bout may have been misjudged. “That was the moment they should have realised that this was actually a bad idea,” Hearn continued.
“Everybody loves a dollar bill, including me, but sometimes the green-eyed monster can make you some bad decisions – and I think this is one of them.”
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