Boxing icon Mike Tyson has responded to claims that he and Jake Paul are “on board” for a $50 million mega-fight later this year.
With more influencers and athletes from other sports stepping into the boxing scene, many boxers, promoters, and fight fans have been skeptical about the whole thing.
A few have had harsh words to say about the likes of Jake Paul, but the YouTuber has garnered a massive supporter in the form of boxing icon ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. The 55-year-old has praised both Jake and Logan Paul’s boxing skills, and believes they’re only helping the sport by putting new eyes on it.
With Tyson being a vocal supporter of the social media stars, he’s previously said he wouldn’t fight either of them. However, there have been reports that he and Jake Paul are “on board” for a fight in 2022.
Those reports surfaced on January 17, claiming that a “verbal deal has been struck” for a bout in Las Vegas to place in 2022, that the organizers believed would be worth around $50 million.
While Jake has, in the past, been quick to comment on such rumors – just as he has been doing with all the talk surrounding Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s next opponent – he hasn’t said anything just yet.
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Though, Tyson has done so, playing down the reports. “This is new to me,” the former Heavyweight champion tweeted a few hours after the initial reports. “I saw Jake in St. Barths and he never mentioned it.”
This is new to me. I saw Jake in St. Barths and he never mentioned it. https://t.co/eL01HDMdmr
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) January 17, 2022
While Tyson’s response could be used to build a bit of hype around things, it is a different tone compared to the last time he was rumored to be putting the gloves back on.
In October, when the boxing legend had reportedly agreed to a clash with Logan Paul, he admitted that “anything is possible” and spoke about how charities would benefit.
Time will tell if these new fight claims end up being right, but they’re not off to a great start.