Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. joined the ‘It Is What It Is’ podcast to discuss Jake Paul and his July 20 match against former world champion Mike Tyson.
Mayweather famously retired from the sport of boxing with a pristine 50-0 record after defeating UFC star Conor McGregor by TKO in 2017.
Since then, the 47-year-old has remained a fixture in boxing, even fighting an exhibition against Jake’s brother, Logan Paul.
Naturally, with the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight fast approaching, ‘It Is What It Is’ asked the undefeated boxer what he thought of the much anticipated Netflix match.
Mayweather took the opposite approach of other boxing legends, complimenting Paul for raking in the cash, albeit in a backhanded way.
“I mean, what he [Jake Paul] is doing is kinda cool,” Mayweather replied.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. claims Jake Paul is “stealing money” by boxing Mike Tyson on the July 20 Netflix card. 🥊(YouTube — It Is What It Is podcast) pic.twitter.com/aOa4CUlen2
— Hunter Haas (@NFLDraftHaas) May 30, 2024
“If he can continue to steal money, and they match him the way they match him, I can’t knock his hustle.
“So if they can match him how they’ve been matching him, more power to him.”
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On the other hand, Carl Froch and Tony Bellew, two former champions, weren’t as complimentary. Froch said it “shouldn’t be happening,” while Bellew called it a “disgrace” to boxing.
Former UFC standout Michael Bisping described it as a “sham,” adding to the list of stars that have all panned the Paul vs Tyson match, especially after the 57-year-old’s medical scare.
Tyson suffered a “medical emergency” on his May 27 flight, later described as an ulcer flare-up, which he received treatment for on the plane and immediately after it landed.
When news of the scare broke, boxing fans worried that the Tyson vs Paul match could be canceled as a result.
However, ‘Iron Mike’ quickly shut down those rumors by claiming he’s 100%, and Paul did the same, vowing to “f**k Tyson up” in July now that the medical issue is behind them.
The two men will still square off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with an expected capacity crowd. And that’s without mentioning the worldwide audience who will watch from Netflix.
While others had harsh words for Paul, Mayweather admitted it’s a brilliant business plan for ‘The Problem Child.’