Mike Tyson begs Jake Paul not to pull out of fight after concern raised

Mike Tyson is set to fight Jake Paul on July 20 and has begged the YouTuber-turned-boxer not to pull out of the Netflix bout after a warning from a mutual friend

Mike Tyson has issued a plea to Jake Paul, urging him not to back out of their upcoming mega-fight.

The former heavyweight champion is set to face off against the YouTuber-turned-boxer on July 20 at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas. Despite a 30-year age gap between the two, the controversial fight will be recognized as a professional bout.

Paul, who transitioned from influencer fame to boxing, is a divisive figure in the sport. Most of his 10 professional opponents so far have been athletes from other sports or unknown boxers, winning nine times and losing just once to Tommy Fury.

In a recent sit-down with Damon Elliott, Tyson discussed the impending match. Elliott cautioned Paul about stepping into the ring, saying: “Jake, I’ve know Mike since he smacked… me at 14-years-old and my face has never been the same.”

Tyson humorously responded, “Do it Jake, please, don’t listen to this man. Jake, don’t listen to him, please.”

Paul is 30 years younger than Tyson ( Image: Getty Images)
Tyson also left Elliott baffled during the interview by claiming he is eating raw meat while preparing for his boxing return. When Elliott complimented Tyson’s physique and asked about his diet, Tyson replied: “Raw meat. I’m going to have to eat it now because my opponent’s going to be raw meat.”

Paul is currently bulking up for the mega-fight, aiming to match Tyson’s weight, who tipped the scales at around 220lb during his reign as undisputed heavyweight world champion. Paul has been indulging in steaks and burgers during training camp, hoping to reach a similar weight to Anthony Joshua before slimming down.

“I’m just getting to eat as much as possible and it turns out my body carries this weight super well and I’m only growing. I think I’ll get up to 240 and probably cut down so I’m like way faster. If I’m training in this camp at 240lb and then I cut down to 220lb it’s basically like I had a 20lb weight vest on for the whole entire camp,” Paul said on his podcast.

Tyson hasn’t stepped into the ring for a professional match in nearly two decades, but he did make a comeback for a one-off exhibition bout against fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in 2020. For their fight, Tyson and Paul will be wearing 14oz gloves and no headgear, with the match set to span eight, two-minute rounds.