Mike Tyson‘s ring return against Jake Paul has had the backing of big names like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua but drawn considerable criticism from others.
The controversy lies in the age, inactivity and general health of Tyson, who last fought professionally just shy of twenty years ago. The 58-year-old will face Paul, 27, over eight two-minute rounds.
It’s a sort of spectacle contest that isn’t uncommon in the sport, one high-profile example – albeit without the massive age gap – being Floyd Mayweather against Conor McGregor.
That fight generated a reported 4.3 million US pay-per-view buys, the second biggest in history. There is, then, no wonder that the business of boxing continues to seek out new match-ups in a similar vein.
Speaking to James Corden about the Paul-Tyson fight and the crossover scene in general, McGregor expressed concern for up and coming athletes despite being a part of the best known crossover bout in history.
“For me, it does set a bad precedent in the industry. Because what you’ve got now is – and I would say this to the young athletes coming up, men and women. Don’t aspire to be one of these YouTuber fighters. Aspire for world titles. Aspire for [the Olympics]. That is how you etch your name in history.
Doing these little smash-and-grab fights, you might get a few likes, but there’s nothing substantial to it. It’s hollow. It can be profitable, but it’s hollow. And I’m noticing a trend in young fighters coming up that are not even interested in competing in the amateur scene or rising up to win a national title. You need the gold on the waist. You need to etch your name on the belt.”
In a separate interview from the SXSW red carpet earlier this year, the UFC superstar called the match-up ‘strange’ and sent his best to the former undisputed heavyweight champion.
“It’s a bit strange. My interest is low on it, I don’t know. I don’t understand it. I wish well for Mike.”
Fans would assume that McGregor understands the business behind the event – which will be streamed on Netflix in a first for the sport – better than most.
