Boxing-Paul vows to knock out Tyson in Texas
IRVING, Texas Nov 13 (Reuters) -Jake Paul is betting on himself to beat boxing legend Mike Tyson when the pair meet in the ring in Texas on Friday in what the social media star turned prizefighter predicts will be a slugfest.
The 27-year-old Paul, who is more than three decades Tyson's junior, said he hoped for a vintage performance from "Iron Mike," who will be fighting in his first professional bout since 2005.
"I want him to be that old savage Mike," Paul (10-1) said during a press conference on Wednesday.
"I want that killer. I want the hardest match possible Friday night and I want there to be no excuses from anyone when I knock him out."
A subdued Tyson (50-6) was anything but fierce during the press conference, offering only short answers to pointed questions and uninterested in engaging in the back-and-forth Paul was clearly itching for.
"I'm just ready to fight," he said flatly at various times during the media availability.
Paul described Tyson's demeanor as "boring."
Tyson, known as the "Baddest Man on the Planet," was one of the most fearsome heavyweight champions of all time during his heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the fight with Paul had to be rescheduled from July due to the 58-year-old's ulcer flare-up in late May.
Tyson showed some signs of life when asked what losing to Paul would mean to his legacy.
"I'm not going to lose," he said.
As the reporter began her follow-up question, Tyson interrupted.
"I'm not going to lose! Did you hear what I said?" he thundered.
The showman Paul, meanwhile, leaned heavily into gimmicks.
He revealed a diamond-spiked ear cover, a cheeky reference to Tyson's wild 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield where Tyson lost his WBA heavyweight title after being disqualified for biting off part of his opponent's ear.
Paul, who challenged the undercard fighters on the dais who doubted he would prevail to cash bets, said the fight would be decisive.
"Somebody is getting put to sleep," Paul said.
"It's going to be a war. We're both heavy hitters. It's not going the full 16 minutes."
The anticipated showdown, which has been looked on skeptically by boxing purists but embraced by the broader public, will be held Friday in Arlington, Texas at the home of the Dallas Cowboys and will be streamed live on Netflix NFLX.O.
It will consist of eight two-minute rounds, instead of the regulation three-minute rounds, and each fighter will use 14-ounce gloves instead of the standard 10 ounces to limit punching power.
Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie Freed
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
