Tyson’s Ex-Trainer Regrets Telling Fans To Bet Against Jake Paul – ‘People Lost Money'

Mike Tyson’s former trainer, Jeff Fenech, admits that he regrets telling people to bet on Mike Tyson to defeat Jake Paul. 

Tyson returned to professional boxing last year when he took on Paul in an exhibition. It was Netflix’s first boxing fight, and the event broke records by becoming the most streamed boxing event ever. Reports indicated that Tyson earned over $20 million for the fight, with Jake Paul earning around $40 million. However, Tyson failed to roll back the years, as it was clear he was no longer the same fighter. 

It was his first professional boxing fight since losing to Kevin McBride in 2005. It was clear from the off that Tyson had slowed down significantly, whilst he also admitted that he was wearing a strap on his knee due to some issues he had entering into the fight. Paul ultimately won a comfortable unanimous decision. While Tyson managed to last the distance, it was clear that his fighting days were behind him.

And yet, Tyson called out Logan Paul in his post-fight comments. That created the narrative that Tyson could always return if the terms were right. This is despite many raising safety concerns over the Jake fight in the first place. However, the buzz around seeing Tyson enter the ring had gotten many people hyped up over whether Iron Mike could pull off a victory.

Tyson’s Trainer

He was one of the most destructive punchers in the sport during his prime and was confident about giving Jake a loss. One of those who backed Mike was his former trainer. He admitted telling people to pick Tyson to win. Clearly, the Tyson of old would have dismantled Paul, who has been criticized for not making competitive fights since becoming a full-time boxer. Looking back, Jeff had many regrets over his betting decision.

"I had so many people ring me, and so many people lost money because of me. I’m pretty embarrassed. It may have been a terrible fight, but what he represented and what he was trying to do isn’t just to show people he can fight, he’s trying to show people that at 58 you can work hard. He’s changed his whole life around and I think that’s what it’s about.

"The rest of the stuff far outweighs the fight. My advice would be that you don’t have to do that again. He’s talking about being sick … but at 58 and working your body the way he did, it’s very difficult to stay healthy. Sometimes, you overdo it and burn your engine out. For me, I’m so proud of how Mike has changed his life around and over 100 million people watched at home. Although all of us fight people can say what a terrible fight that was, most people think what a great job Mike Tyson did," Fenech said 

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