YouTuber JAKE PAUL slams those criticizing his upcoming fight with 58-year-old MIKE TYSON

Saturday, August 24, 2024 - YouTube star, Jake Paul has vehemently defended his decision to fight Mike Tyson despite the age gap between the pair.

Earlier this year, Jake Paul sent shockwaves through the sports world when he announced his next opponent would be the 58-year-old former heavyweight world champion.

The 27-year-old faced even more backlash when their fight was postponed because Tyson suffered a mid-air medical emergency that delayed the fight until November 15.

Paul’s long-time rival, KSI, has been one of the fight's most vocal critics.

The YouTuber turned fighter appeared on Friday’s episode of talkSPORT Breakfast and gave his brutally honest verdict on Paul vs Tyson.

“I think it’s stupid,” KSI said. “He’s trying to fight an OAP.”

“He has no business to be fighting a man that can barely walk.

“He hasn’t fought in years. It just makes no sense, but it’s Jake Paul.

“For him, it’s all about trying to take advantage of people who don’t have an advantage, and it’s boring. I wish Netflix didn’t entertain it, but it is what it is.

“Yeah, I just think it’s ridiculous.”

Paul was asked about the backlash to his fight with Mike  Tyson during an interview with talkSPORT MMA’s Gareth A. Davies at a PFL press conference in Washington for Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira on Friday.

“I think it’s disrespectful to Mike, first and foremost,” he said.

“And then I would say to them ‘Get in the ring with him’. If Mike wants to fight, then Mike wants to fight. If he wants to make it a pro fight then, ‘Okay!’

“I wanna fight Mike Tyson, that’s legendary. It’s an honour to be in the ring with him, and if he wants the fight to be a pro fight then, ‘Okay, let’s do it’.”

Tyson hasn’t fought professionally since being knocked out by Kevin McBride in 2005 but his comeback opponent thinks he still looks like the menacing fighter he once was.

Paul added: “You look at his training videos, look at him on the mitts, you look at him in person – he has a 30lb weight advantage and is giant strong.

“So, people can say what they want about it, but they are still going to watch.”

“I get the old guard and old people wanna see me lose,” he concluded.

“At the end of the day, that’s what makes this fight interesting, the two generations coming together.

“I think 30 years and older want Mike Tyson [to win], 25 and younger want me to win. That’s what makes it very interesting.