Jake Paul has confessed his much-anticipated scrap with boxing icon Mike Tyson might be off the cards after Tyson had to withdraw due to health woes.
The social media sensation, who swapped vlogs for jabs, was all set to duke it out with Tyson on July 20, but Tyson’s battle with a stomach ulcer has thrown a spanner in the works. The clash of the titans is now postponed until November 15, with Paul set to enter the ring with ex-UFC hardman and knuckle-busting champ Mike Perry in the interim.
Tyson, the once undisputed heavyweight kingpin, has been keeping a low profile since his withdrawal, but Paul spilled the beans to The New York Post, saying: “If Tyson wants it, I’m down. The keys are in his hands.”
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Gushing about the potential match-up, he said: “It would be such an honour to step in there with him. Mike Tyson is the one who wanted it to be a professional fight. He’s saying he’s fine [despite the problem], he’s saying he’s ready, and all of these things. We’re not Mike Tyson’s dad. We’re not his boss. If Mike Tyson wants the fight, it would be my honour, and I’m down to do it.”
“He’s ready to go; he just needed a couple of weeks, so he’s back to training. We’re all just praying and hoping that everything is good and that he stays healthy. That’s first and foremost. He’s Mike Tyson at the end of the day. He has lethal knockout power and is very, very experienced. I think it is going to be a brawl regardless,” reports the Mirror.
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Jake Paul is on the hunt for his 10th professional victory in the squared circle against Perry next month. Since bidding adieu to the octagon, the ex-UFC brawler has carved a brutal reputation in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, even dangling a potential brawl with Conor McGregor following a dust-up with the Notorious one last year.
Jake’s thrown a curveball saying he’s going all-in on the Perry scrap, even if it puts the kibosh on his rumble with Mike Tyson up in the air. “I think I am crazy for this; I definitely am because I don’t think anyone would take the risk in this position, but that’s just what makes me different. I’m not slowing down for anyone and I want to stay active in the gym,” Jake said.