Promoter Eddie Hearn has criticized the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson headline fight in Texas this November, calling it “dangerous, irresponsible, and disrespectful to boxing.”
Tyson, the former heavyweight world champion, is 58 years old and has not fought professionally since 2005, while YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27, has won 10 of his 11 professional fights.
Hearn, who will be at AT&T Stadium to support Katie Taylor in her rematch against Amanda Serrano, stated that he plans to leave before the main event.
“The reality is that 20 years ago when Mike Tyson retired from the sport he was shot, completely finished,” the Matchroom boss told BBC Sport. “It was actually sad to watch then, 20 years ago.”
Brooklyn-born Mike Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight champion at age 20 when he defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986. A year later, he became the first fighter to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles.
Although Tyson fought in an exhibition match against fellow veteran Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, Eddie Hearn—who sat next to ‘Iron Mike’ at an event in Los Angeles in August—predicts that this latest comeback will “only end in tears.”
“I’m in awe of him – he’s one of my favourite ever fighters, one of the greatest of all time – but he’s a 58-year-old man,” Hearn added.
“You only need to speak to him and look at him to know this guy should not be in a ring again.”
Tyson and Paul lured by ‘green-eyed monster’
The fight, set to take place at the 80,000-seat home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, will be a professional contest with a series of conditions.
Jake Paul, who is 31 years younger than Tyson at age 27, has primarily faced former UFC fighters, with his only loss coming against British boxer Tommy Fury in February 2023.
Despite the significant age gap, Paul has defended his decision to fight Tyson, arguing that the hall-of-famer’s experience balances the competition.
However, Eddie Hearn, who filed a defamation lawsuit against Paul after the American accused him of bribing boxing judges in October 2022, with a court date reportedly set for this month, strongly disagrees.
“If I was Jake Paul I’d just feel a little bit embarrassed to be honest with you. It’s a liberty,” Hearn said.
“This is dangerous, irresponsible and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the sport of boxing.”
The two were originally scheduled to fight on July 20, but the match had to be postponed after Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up, leading to the rescheduling of his bout with the YouTuber.
“That was the moment they should have realised that this was actually a bad idea,” Hearn added.
“Everybody loves a dollar bill, including me, but sometimes the green-eyed monster can make you some bad decisions – and I think this is one of them.”