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Former boxing champ Deontay Wilder is not a fan of the Jake Paul–Mike Tyson.
Last month, the Texas State Athletic Commission sanctioned the Paul vs Tyson as a pro fight despite the 30-year age gap between the two.
Via ESPN
The July 20 bout between YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson will be classified as a sanctioned, professional fight by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.
The heavyweight showdown will be contested over eight, 2-minute rounds with each fighter using 14-ounce gloves. The outcome will affect their professional boxing records.
Wilder sat down with Sportsbookreviews.com and bashed the Texas State Athletic Commission for sanctioning the fight because he is afraid Tyson could end up in a coma vs Paul.
“I think it’s bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn’t been active in 20 years, so they should not just licence him because of who he is, that’s how people get hurt, god forbid he gets hurt. People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there’s lots of examples where guys have been hit into a coma. It’s easy to do.”
“He’s too old for this. At the end of the day, no one gives a f— about Mike. We can talk about the pros and cons, I don’t think anyone cares about Mike because if they did they wouldn’t sanction the fight. They may say they’ve done tests and all that, ok, but as long as you’re willing to suffer the consequences if something bad goes wrong.”
Despite Wilder’s objections, the Tyson-Paul fight will move forward and begin selling tickets next week.
Wilder isn’t the only boxer to come out and criticize the fight, several other pro boxers including Canelo Alvarez have come forward to trash it in the media.