It is finally the week of what just might be the biggest boxing match in the history of the sport – whether you want to believe that is the case or not.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will be in the ring against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and it seems like everyone has a strong opinion on how the fight will play out.
The fight will be Tyson’s return to professional boxing – his fight against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020 was an exhibition, so this will be his first pro fight since 2005. As for Paul, this will already be his third fight of the year; he is 10-1 with six knockouts in his career.
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Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, left, and YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul face off during a press conference at Fanatics Fest NYC on Aug. 18, 2024 in New York City. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Paul, of course, irks many. He is a constant headline generator at age 27 and hit it big through Vine, the Disney Channel and YouTube.
One of those who are not big fans of Paul’s work is Super Bowl champion Andrew Whitworth.
“I hope Mike Tyson knocks his freakin’ head off,” Whitworth told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Whitworth is one of the many who criticize the legitimacy of Paul’s boxing career. His first fight was against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, his second against former NBA star Nate Robinson and then four of his next five were against current and former MMA artists. His lone loss was to professional boxer Tommy Fury, the younger brother of former heavyweight champ Tyson Fury.
After fighting Nate Diaz, he fought against two boxers who do not even have Wikipedia pages, in Andre August and Ryan Bourland. Those fights lasted a combined five minutes and two seconds, each ending in first-round knockouts for Paul.
Mike Tyson, left, and Jake Paul attend Fanatics Fest Press Conference at Javits Center on Aug. 18, 2024 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
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Now, his next opponent is a 58-year-old Tyson.
“I would love for [Paul] to fight somebody his age and has boxed at the same level of success. But if he wants to keep cherry-picking, if fans want to follow Jake Paul’s journey, good for them. But I hope Mike Tyson knocks him out,” Whitworth added.
Paul has long said he wants to wind up being a world champion, something he predicted he would become by 2028. This past summer, Paul said he only has “three or four years left” in the sport because he would “accomplish everything that I want to accomplish in that time frame.” In response, he was asked if it was a prediction he would win a title within that span.
Boxer and influencer Jake Paul walks on the field before a game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2024. (Tim Heitman-Imagn Images)
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“Yes,” he replied. “Indeed it is.”
Paul is currently the -200 favorite, via Action Network, meaning one would have to risk $200 on Paul to win $100.
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