Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will return to a boxing ring later this year, but Eddie Hearn is not happy about it.
‘Iron Mike’ was once the baddest man on the planet, a fighter who struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. Now he is soon to be 58 years of age, and has been retired since way back in 2005.
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But now Tyson is set to return when he fights 27-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 20. The event will be aired live by Netflix as the streaming giant dips its toes into live sports programming.
Hearn, head man of Matchroom Boxing and one of the world’s most foremost promoters, gave his take on the whole thing when he spoke to Piers Morgan Uncensored. To say he’s unimpressed would be something of an understatement.
Hearn on Tyson vs Jake Paul
“I think that we live in a crazy world, don’t we, where that younger generation is built off views, built off narrative, built off controversy. And as a hard-core fight fan, someone that’s been around boxing since I was 9 years old, I find it disgusting that a 58-year-old man who was my hero growing up, firstly has to get back in the ring – from a financial point of view.
“With the amount of money that man was paid, or partially paid, during his career, to get in the ring with a 25-year-old guy who can’t really fight, but for me, I understand it.
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“I was speaking to the Netflix guys the other day, I don’t think they liked my criticism of the event. I’m never gonna lie to you, I’m never gonna sugar coat it, I’m just gonna give you my honest opinion. Which is, it will sell, people will watch, it will be a big event, and I don’t like it.”
It’s not the first time Tyson has return to the ring in recent years – in November 2020 he fought another retired boxing icon Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition to co-incide with Thanksgiving weekend in the United States.
Jake Paul meanwhile has made millions of dollars in PPV revenue from his ‘fights’, building a 9-1 record so far. His sole defeat came against Tommy Fury, brother of WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
