Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is approaching. While the vast majority of experts view this event with a mix of bitterness, irony, and dismay, a large number of regular people are eagerly waiting for the show to begin. Among them are many die-hard fans of the legendary Iron Mike, genuinely convinced that their idol still has it in him for one last stand. I have some bad news for all of them: if the fight is real, Mike Tyson will lose by KO.
Just under 17 years ago, while the world was eagerly awaiting the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton, I was deeply struck by a phrase from former world champion Roger Mayweather, who was training his nephew Floyd at the time. After so much time, I no longer remember the exact words, but the gist was something like this:
“People love to believe in bullshit, but this isn’t a movie. In reality, Apollo Creed beats Rocky Balboa.”
Mayweather’s statement captured, in a colorful but very effective way, the natural human need to witness episodes, feats, and events with fairy-tale qualities that touch our emotions and fuel our hopes for a happy ending. When it comes to “Iron” Mike Tyson, this sentiment — genuine and entirely understandable in itself — reaches simply unmatched heights.
To best describe what could effectively be called the “cult of Mike Tyson,” it’s worth revisiting the somewhat prophetic words spoken by legendary HBO journalist Larry Merchant around twenty years ago, when the Catskill boxer’s career appeared to be at its end:
“I suppose that ten years from now, some promoter will offer him a fight on TV that will supposedly lead to another title fight. Or else one of those wrestling promoters will make him an offer he can’t refuse. And eventually he’ll go out with his guns blazing in some incident. Whatever happens, it’s unlikely he’ll end up destitute. You see, most of Tyson’s fans are Tyson fans and not boxing fans. Presumably, they’ll follow him to the very end.”
Larry got the dates wrong by about a decade, but he accurately predicted what would happen and how the public would react, fully capturing the intensely personal nature of the following among fans who grew up with Iron Mike’s myth, now almost religiously devoted.
I have a particularly memorable, highly emblematic personal anecdote from years ago. Back then, I was just starting to get into boxing, watching classic bouts and seeking out online discussion spaces to talk with other fans and build my early knowledge.
While sifting through a forum, I stumbled upon a thread started shortly after Tyson’s devastating defeat to Kevin McBride, containing an intriguing theory. The user claimed that Iron Mike had purposely lost to Williams and McBride to appear washed up, thereby ensuring a shot against one of the Klitschko brothers (who would otherwise avoid him) so he could brutally knock him out. This user epitomized the “fan” Larry Merchant had in mind—those who now hope to see Jake Paul overwhelmed by Tyson’s punches.
Frankly, I’m embarrassed to explain why that won’t happen. Having to articulate why a 58-year-old former fighter, inactive for almost twenty years and with a turbulent life, isn’t suited to a professional combat sport is like proving that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
Luckily, what happened to Evander Holyfield just over three years ago helps me out. At 58, he made the ill-fated choice to fight ex-MMA star Vitor Belfort and was crushed in less than a round. This incident speaks volumes. And remember, unlike Tyson, Holyfield boxed professionally until he was 48.
Belfort, incidentally, is comparable to the various MMA fighters Jake Paul has soundly defeated in the ring during his professional career. Yes, I said “professional career,” because while some may prefer to label him a showman who boxes for fun, the truth is that for at least five years, Paul has trained with unwavering dedication under top-tier coaching.
He’s certainly a mediocre boxer by world standards. It took the modest Tommy Fury just a few jabs and some footwork to throw him off-balance, though he did suffer the indignity of being knocked down. But Jake Paul’s trainers have wisely advised him to take a cautious approach, focusing on containment punctuated by sudden bursts, which would be enough to beat a nearly 60-year-old man, no matter how great he once was.
So why use conditional language? Why start the headline of this article with the word “if”? Because what we’re about to witness is so close to a circus act and so far removed from athletic values that it’s impossible not to suspect there’s already a script for how things should unfold.
If that’s the case, the two protagonists will need to act their roles convincingly because, having been approved by the Texas Athletic Commission, this fight is officially a legitimate professional bout, and any behind-the-scenes manipulation would be a crime under the law.
Whoever truly cares for Iron Mike, however, should sincerely hope that this crime is indeed committed and that, through an unspoken gentlemen’s agreement, Jake Paul settles for a win without inflicting excessive punishment on the former heavyweight champion.
Over recent months, Tyson has openly dismissed the concerns of many who worry about the risks of this venture, even going so far as to say he would “rather die in the ring than on a hospital bed.” It’s a flashy line, one that certainly grabs headlines, but in reality, it’s quite unfortunate. As expressed, it seems to imply that the traumas of a tragically ended fight can only cause instant death.
But anyone who follows boxing closely knows that isn’t true and that there have been many cases of boxers who’ve had to cope with the unintended consequences of a last, ill-fated match for years afterward. Tyson himself certainly knows at least one such example all too well: that of his former sparring partner, Greg Page, a prominent heavyweight from the ’80s. Page, who extended his career until he was 43, suffered a devastating knockout against Dale Crowe in 2001, which left him semi-paralyzed from consequent brain damage.
Greg Page did not die in the ring. He passed away at home in 2009 when, after falling from his hospital bed, his body became trapped in a position that prevented him from breathing. We all hope that Mike Tyson lives to an old age, dying peacefully no less than forty years from now, and that this Friday’s event will prove to be an entertaining spectacle that leaves everyone happy and excited. However, those of us who write about this sport are compelled to occasionally remind you that you don’t play boxing.