Jake Paul sparring companion for Mike Tyson battle lastly speaks out after viral footage

Jake Paul’s sparring partner has broken his silence after a video of him being floored by ‘The Problem Child’ went viral.

YouTube sensation-turned-fighter Paul is gearing up for his showdown with boxing legend Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15. Despite traditionally fighting at cruiserweight, Paul has been beefing up to heavyweight to prepare for the bout and has been flaunting his gains on social media.

Last month, the 27-year-old shared footage showing him dropping a sparring partner, sparking a debate among fans who suggested he was training with a green fighter. However, it emerged that the man on the canvas was none other than DeAndre Savage, an unbeaten heavyweight who sits at number 15 in the WBA world rankings.

Savage, who had stayed quiet since the clip exploded online with over 10million views on Instagram, didn’t directly reference the infamous session but took to social media to express his appreciation for being part of Team Paul.

“I want to give a big thanks to the sport of boxing for helping me get paid to travel all over the world,” he posted. “I also want to thank my coach @3rdworldboxing who is the head trainer of Jake Paul for selling me my first home.

“I want to thank @jakepaul for helping me make the money to purchase my first home that sits on 1.5 acres of land, with a big pole barn in the back yard. This year has been a great year by far. Big fights are on the way, stay tuned.”

In the video, Savage gets clocked by an overhand right, looking eerily similar to the one Paul used to send Tyron Woodley to sleep in 2021, and stumbles onto one knee. The video cuts off before it’s clear if he hit the deck or not.

Smack-talking the former heavyweight king, Paul dropped a cheeky caption aimed at Tyson: “Take notes.” On the flip side, Tyson has clapped back at the clip, suggesting Paul staged a fake knockout.

Talking to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo recently, he jibed: “You seen his sparring session where the guy faked being knocked out? That was beautiful.”

A similar clip of Tyson flooring his own sparring partner circulated last week, with fans suggesting Paul would be wise to call off the fight while he can. Savage, who hails from Michigan, went pro in 2021 after a solid four-year amateur run, bagging six knockouts in eight bouts as well as two no contests.

On the other hand, Paul’s record is impressive too with a tally of 10 triumphs out of 11 pro bouts. His sole loss was at the hands of Tommy Fury, Tyson Fury’s younger half-brother, in 2023.

His face-off with Tyson, 58, marks his first bout against a renowned professional boxer, albeit one who hasn’t stepped into the ring professionally for almost two decades. ‘Iron Mike’ did participate in an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr four years ago and has maintained his fighting form since then.

The Tyson vs Paul fight was originally set for July, but had to be delayed due to the former experiencing an ulcer flare-up during training.