I want to preface this with my opinion as a new casual fan. We are approximately 48 hours from what Jake Paul is claiming to be the biggest fight in the history of professional boxing, and I, as a fan, just cannot see this bout as anything more than an overhyped event to garner attention for Jake Paul.
Many observers, fans, and boxing analysts agree this is a money grab. I, for one, hope this is a legitimate fight for some reason. Having grown up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I had the privilege—let me repeat that a little more boldly—of watching many of the greats ever step into the ring, which also carried into the ‘90s.
Men who built and carried the sport throughout their careers. Names synonymous with greatness!
Muhammad Ali, in my opinion and my memory, is simply the greatest fighter to ever strap on a pair of gloves. Ali had a personality that was larger than life, he was an Olympic Gold Medalist, and the heavyweight champion of the world 3 times, he was entertaining, confident, and backed up his trash talk every time he stepped in to face another boxer. His fight with Frazier, “The Thrilla in Manilla”, his poetic quotes, and his unorthodox style defined boxing and largely my love of the sport.
“Iron” Mike Tyson, the baddest man on the planet, that moniker was well deserved, and Mike Tyson was exactly the Champion that professional boxing needed when he rose to the top of the sport. His speed and punching power were unlike any other boxer I had ever seen.
Smokin’ Joe Frazier was tough, had a devasting left hook, and was the undisputed heavyweight champion from ’70-’73. He was also an Olympic Gold medalist and had epic fights with Ali and George Foreman. In fact, Joe Frazier lost to only two fighters, both former gold medalists and world heavyweight champions, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
That brings me to George Foreman. George is also an Olympic gold medalist and two-time world heavyweight champion. He has fought not only Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier but also Evander Holyfield, Jimmy Ellis, Gerry Cooney, and Tommy Morrison. He won his second world championship title at 45 years old by knocking out Michael Moorer, previously 35-0, in the 10th round.
Next on the list is Sugar Ray Leonard, arguably one of the best boxers of all time. He was fast, had decent power, and held the title in several different weight classes. While not a heavyweight, Sugar Ray Leonard kept boxing at the forefront after Muhammad Ali retired. He was part of a group of boxers who fought each other and kept boxing relevant throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s.
After Sugar Ray Leonard, the next great fighter on my list would have to be Marvelous Marvin Hagler. He was charismatic and a dominant middleweight from 1980-87. Marvelous Marvin Hagler was very much a blue-collar fighter. He had a strong chin and an incredible knockout ratio.
Following Mr. Leonard and Mr. Hagler very closely on my list are Thomas “the Hitman” Hearns and Roberto Duran. One thing notable about my list is that all of these guys were champions. All of them are names that go hand in hand with championship fights, main events on HBO and Showtime, and Friday or Saturday night fights on network TV called by some of the biggest names in broadcasting, including Howard Cosell.
All of the above fighters and all of these fighters (yes, it is a long list), Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Tommy Morrison, Lennox Lewis, Leon Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Hector “Macho” Comacho, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Roy Jones Jr., Pernell Whitaker, “ Sugar” Shane Mosely, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins, Gerald McClellan, Buster Douglas, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Nigel Benn are champions, world-class fighters and deserve respect and recognition.
The same cannot be said for Jake Paul, he hasn’t truly fought anyone of significance…..until Friday night, then he will face an aged, but still very scary “Iron” Mike Tyson. On the outside, watching the training videos, the joint press conferences and interviews, Mike Tyson looks ready. He is in incredible shape, has speed and power, and appears to be on a mission to knock Jake Paul out, to defeat, in Mike’s own words, a “manufactured killer”.
Jake is a promoter, marketer, and social media influencer. While he can fight and has won some fights, those fights were not against world-class boxers.
Like so many have said, If he beats Mike Tyson, he beats a 58-year-old former heavyweight champion who is admittedly past his prime. If he loses to Mike Tyson, whether by knockout or decision, he gets beat by Mike Tyson, quite possibly still the baddest man on the planet! I don’t think this boxing match will do anything to improve the sport of boxing in its current state or bolster Jake Paul’s reputation as a legitimate fighter.
So, what does this fight do? It gives Mike Tyson a chance to beat Father Time and put a wannabe boxer in his place, which, in my opinion, is on some obscure YouTube channel. It gives Mike Tyson a chance to release the beast one last time, to feed that need to fight and leave it all in the ring, to do what Mike Tyson was born to do: fight, punch, and beat a loud, obnoxious, self-proclaimed “great fighter”.
It gives fans an opportunity to witness Mike Tyson’s speed and power once more. It gives older fans like myself who have witnessed greatness in the ring a chance to witness a revival of one of the greats. For us older fans, it gives us a chance to root for an underdog. We all know full well that if he is given the opportunity and the fight is on the level and unscripted, he will annihilate and embarrass Jake Paul, even at 58 years of age.
Regardless of the outcome, and without shame, I am evidently pulling for a Mike Tyson knock-out! What needs to happen after this is that Jake Paul needs to fight ranked, legitimate professional boxers and earn the respect he desires. Jake Paul needs to prove to the world that he is a contender, not through self-promotion and hand-picking opponents he can beat! No, Jake Paul needs to fight Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Michael Hunter, Deontay Wilder, or anyone in the top 25/30 ranked heavyweight boxers to get legitimate boxing cred.
I am positive a record number of televisions will be tuned into the Tyson/Paul fight on Friday night. It will be a boon for Netflix and good for ratings, but ultimately, it will do nothing to legitimize Jake Paul, nor will it help or hurt Mike Tyson’s legacy. A Tyson win will draw fans to boxing because a decisive Tyson win or knockout will increase the curiosity of casual fans who will search the current boxing ranks for the next Mike Tyson.
A Paul win is simply a paycheck for Jake and Mike, and while he will boast about beating Mike Tyson, a prime Mike Tyson would destroy a prime Jake Paul. In my opinion, a prime (insert name here) boxer from any weight division Jake Paul can make weight for would handily beat Jake Paul.
-Chris Thomas
Boxing Fan and Self Proclaimed Amateur Analyst
