Mike Tyson has claimed that any boxing clash with YouTube star Jake Paul must happen this year.
Reports indicated that Paul had agreed to face the legendary heavyweight in a fight last year but the pair promptly shut down the links. However Tyson has since revealed that he plans to hold talks with Paul after the YouTube star claimed a potential exhibition bout could generate revenue of up to $300 million.
Tyson has now added further fuel to the fire by admitting anything is possible when questioned about a meeting with Paul. "Anything is possible but it has got to happen this year," Tyson responded when asked about a clash with the YouTube star on the Jimmy Kimmel show. "That could be very interesting. He is skilled enough and I will give it to him because he is winning.
"Even if he is fighting fighters that aren't meant to be good enough, they should still be beating him but they can't. He is beating people that he shouldn't really be beating so you have to give him credit. He is doing good and he is doing things that are great for boxing. This guy has 7 million people following him every time he fights.
"The champions of the world don't have that many people following him so what he is doing for boxing is sensational. No-one should be hating on him, what this kid is doing they should be following him. He is helping everybody get money so why are people mad at him?"
Tyson has backed Paul throughout his YouTube boxing career which has seen the star win his five professional fights to date. Paul has announced his return to the ring will take place on August 6 with an opponent yet to be named. A whole host of high-profile stars are set to be in the running including bitter rival Tommy Fury, UFC legend Anderson Silva and perhaps even Tyson.
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The 25-year-old has previously claimed that any potential bout could break the pay-per-view record set by Floyd Mayweather's meeting with Manny Pacquiao. "Ideally, for sure, that's legendary," he told Boxing Social of the potential fight. "The old generation of boxing with the new generation of boxing, all being mixed into one. As Mike Tyson said on the Joe Rogan podcast, it would be one of the biggest pay-per-views of all time.
"Together when we were on the same card, we sold almost two million pay-per-views. It could be three million pay-per-views, four million pay-per-views. Mike Tyson like you said on the podcast, if you're watching this, let's make the fight happen. I'm ready and I think I would win, Mike thinks he would win, so let's do it."
Tyson previously dismissed chances of facing Paul in the boxing ring but has since reopened the door to a bout on multiple occasions. The boxing legend has since been pictured in a return to training where he busted open his coaches lip during a display of the frightening power he still possesses.
