Jake Paul scored a sixth-round knockout of Mike Perry to formally clear the best way for his showdown in opposition to Mike Tyson in November, however the criticism surrounding that combat has solely multiplied in latest days.
From the second the bout was introduced, Paul was scrutinized for even considering a combat in opposition to Tyson, who only recently celebrated his 58th birthday. In his prime, Tyson was probably the most ferocious and feared fighters on the planet, however his greatest days are lengthy since behind him, and his final win got here all the best way again in 2003 when he defeated Clifford Etienne by knockout.
Whereas Paul is much from a top-level boxer, he’s 27 years outdated with a 10-1 document and there’s little question he packs a severe punch, given the seven knockout wins on his résumé.
For all of the methods the combat could appear to be a nasty concept, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who has spent extra time within the ring with Paul than anybody, guarantees that’s not the case.
“I’m a fan of the combat,” Woodley stated on The Fighter vs. The Author podcast. “Mike Tyson is 60, however are you attempting to see Mike Tyson? So he’s nonetheless obtained the identical concern in your coronary heart that he had a very long time in the past.”
In some ways, Woodley anticipated to see a little bit of a preview of the Tyson combat when he known as Paul’s win over Perry this previous weekend as a part of the published workforce. Understanding that Perry was the shorter, smaller fighter, Woodley felt the BKFC famous person would make use of a method much like what Tyson used all through his profession to take care of dimension disadvantages.
However finally Perry simply couldn’t make use of the identical ways as Tyson, and Woodley says that’s what actually price him the combat.
“I do know Mike has been coaching that model earlier than he even obtained to the UFC,” Woodley stated. “I watched all his movies. I hear him speaking concerning the Mike Tyson peekaboo model. What meaning, because the individual is punching, you’re going to slide in and canopy floor. You’re going to purchase actual property. So off of a jab, off of a cross, in case you are adequate to see it and slip it, it’s important to be adequate to step inside as properly. As a result of Mike Tyson was so much shorter than a number of his different opponents and most of his punches got here from hooking punches. Mike Perry dot com, proper? So Mike Perry didn’t slip and get inside. He didn’t slip hardly in any respect in any case. He was getting hit with jabs and it was type of like a rock ‘em, sock ‘em.
“Mike Perry had his fingers very low. He positively didn’t slip and step inside. He obtained hit with jabs after which he didn’t have a solution for the jab.”
Woodley doesn’t imagine Tyson faces those self same issues as a result of his coaches mainly invented that model of preventing, which Tyson employed all through his profession.
Whereas that will not get Tyson any wins in opposition to one of the best heavyweights in boxing as we speak, it’s nonetheless sufficient to assist him take care of a far much less skilled opponent like Paul.
“[Tyson] did hundreds, tens of hundreds of the identical drill,” Woodley stated. “We watched the best way Cus D’Amato educated him. He was a educated machine of his particular physique kind, of his particular top, his particular attributes, particularly the facility, and so they developed a method for him particularly. They mainly engineered a method that didn’t exist earlier than him. Even the best way he had his fingers [at his chin]. He wasn’t [up high on the head]. He was [on the chin] as a result of he would take a shot and he’s going to take it by the brow. He’s not going to get knocked out by a brow punch. Then when he slipped off line, guess what occurs? He’s in that distance that Perry wanted to be in.
“However individuals watch it and simply attempt to do it, however once you don’t do the drills, you’re lacking steps, you’re lacking the small methods. You’re lacking the minimal issues that make it a significant factor once you attempting to do it in actual time. Mike Tyson has not forgotten that.”
If Tyson can faucet again into these expertise and comes out throwing with the identical type of vicious energy that made him such a terrifying opponent early in his profession, Woodley looks like Paul could possibly be in deep trouble.
“If [Tyson] has a flashback of a second of a previous combat, and he does that shit to Jake, it’s a wrap,” Woodley stated. “In order that’s the combat. The age is the one purpose why Paul even has an opportunity. That’s why it’s type of an excellent combat. [Paul’s] age, youth, and skill to simply have a screw free, and Mike’s expertise, 60 professional fights, world titles in opposition to killers, and simply being in all probability essentially the most feared fight competitor ever.
“Jon Jones is one of the best MMA fighter, however strolling up and down the road, he could sing to you, he could not scare you. Mike Tyson was scary with f*cking tigers and shit. So yeah, that’s combat.”
Nonetheless, Woodley understands why some followers, fighters, and boxing consultants simply aren’t going to jive with Paul taking over a 58-year-old model of Tyson, however he expects opinions to vary on combat night time. He clearly is aware of Paul can win, however Woodley guarantees that counting out Tyson comes at your individual peril.
“I nonetheless assume Mike Tyson has sufficient in him to knock Jake out,” Woodley stated. “Might Jake win? Yeah, Jake must combat Mike Tyson the identical manner he fought Mike Perry. Jab excessive, jab low, transfer. Since you bear in mind, Mike Tyson has his fingers proper [by his chin]. He’s not going to vary that for this combat. So once you jab proper in the midst of these two gloves, on the very minimal it’s going to push Mike again. Pushing him again retains him out of that vary that [Tyson] must get into.
“If Jake fights him that manner and possibly lands some good physique jabs, physique punches, and begins to deplete him, get him pissed off, get him swinging loopy, he may possibly tire him out after which look within the later rounds to attempt to end it off. That’s the sport plan and that’s the one manner I see Jake beating Mike. I see a number of other ways of Mike beating Jake.”
