De La Hoya Slams Jake Paul For Fighting Mike Tyson – ‘This Is Not A Popularity Contest’
Oscar De La Hoya has told Jake Paul to take boxing seriously following the news that he is fighting Mike Tyson.
Paul announced he would fight Tyson at the AT&T Stadium, Texas, on July 20. The fight will be aired on Netflix, which will be the first on the platform. The news of Paul’s latest fight came out of the blue, given his recent career trajectory.
Following his loss to Tommy Fury, Paul faced Nate Diaz. After securing the victory, Paul chose to fight Andre August and Ryan Bourland. The latter two were professional boxers, showing that Paul was moving away from fighting celebrity fighters. The Tyson fight may be against a boxing legend, but the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion is now 58.
Paul vs Tyson
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons. Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history,” Paul
“I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT. It’s a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch; as I started him off on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him,” Tyson
That has raised question marks over whether Paul is serious about the sport. He has spoken about his desire to become a world champion. He even called out Canelo Alvarez following his win over Bourland. But beating Tyson does nothing for Paul’s journey to winning a world title. De La Hoya has urged Paul to take the sport seriously.
De La Hoya Reacts
“Jake Paul, you say you want to be a world champion, you say you want to take this sport seriously – then take it seriously. What is this? This is not a popularity contest. I’m actually praising Jake Paul for taking this [sport] seriously, because I really feel that if he fights the right fights and takes the right path to that world title, he can actually get there,” De La Hoya stated
But there are plenty of benefits to this fight. It will likely generate a huge buzz, particularly with casual boxing fans. Tyson’s last fight was an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. It ended in a draw, but the bout did sell over a million PPVs. Given Paul’s huge following, that increases the chances of this fight doing equally well. However, there is a concern that Tyson could suffer some serious damage. The 58-year-old is not the same fighter, but it may add to the huge spectacle, giving Paul a better chance of winning.
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