Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is not something boxing legend Bernard Hopkins is into at all.
The multiple-time world champion thinks that Tyson is making a mistake by fighting Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer who’s 30 years younger than him. Tyson, an icon and one of the greatest in the history of boxing, is held in high regard by Hopkins – which is why he’s not on board with him fighting Paul.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it,” Hopkins told Fight Hub TV and other reporters on Tuesday. “I look at Mike, I look at him different in a way of my era, like people looked at Ali. I looked at Ali different, too. Marvin Hagler, ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson.
“I don’t like it. I think it’s becoming more of a side show with some sweat and maybe some blood, if we’re lucky. I won’t watch it. I could watch two turtles race and be more excited.”
Paul vs. Tyson is scheduled for July 20 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and will live stream on Netflix. The exact ruleset is unclear at the moment and has yet to be released by the promoters.
Hopkins thinks Tyson fighting at 57 years of age is a bad look for his legacy. He thinks it cheapens his stock in boxing to be fighting someone like Paul.
“It’s because of how I look at Mike Tyson,” Hopkins said. “I’ve shared not only the ring with Mike Tyson a few times, but the era, a little tip of the era. I just think it degrades him. You’re getting 100 million, 200 million. Please, OK.”
For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Tyson.
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