Will historical past repeat itself? Most probably.
Heavyweight boxing legend, Mike Tyson, 58, lastly battles YouTuber-turned boxer, Jake Paul, 27, this weekend (Fri., Nov. 15, 2024) from inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, streaming stay on a historic Netflix broadcast.
For higher or worse.
Whereas “Tyson vs. Paul” is a one-of-a-kind occasion — with tens of millions of individuals tuning in to see if a 58-year-old killer nonetheless has some juice left within the tank (right here’s how) — I’ve obtained dangerous information: It will be a miserable evening.
Let me take you again to Sept. 11, 2021, when former Final Combating Champion (UFC) knockout artist, Vitor Belfort, took on four-time world Heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield.
It was a tragic catastrophe.
Certainly, Belfort knocked out Holyfield in lower than two minutes of their scheduled eight-round exhibition match (watch highlights).
Holyfield was 58 years outdated on the time (Belfort was 44). It was the Brazilian’s second-ever boxing match after a protracted, epic profession in combined martial arts (MMA). For what it’s value, Belfort misplaced his subsequent boxing match (two years later) to a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist / MMA veteran, Jacare Souza.
Now, let’s examine Holyfield vs. Belfort to Tyson vs. Paul.
“Iron” Mike is 58 years outdated, whereas “El Gallo” is 27. Paul has invested tens of millions of {dollars} into his boxing profession and has been fairly profitable, with 11 wins, seven of which got here through knockout. Apart from the 2020 exhibition match with Roy Jones Jr. that went to a draw (Tyson ought to have received), Tyson hasn’t competed in a boxing match since 2005 in opposition to Kevin McBride, the place he stop on the stool within the seventh spherical (I am selecting to disregard his 2006 exhibition match — nothing occurred).
Sure, Tyson is among the many scariest individuals on Earth — even at virtually 60 years outdated — however he is combating somebody greater than three a long time years youthful. As well as, Paul is an unabashed clout chaser, trying to create a viral knockout in what will probably be one of many most-watched fights of the final century.
And he’ll do it (regardless of this).
That’s proper, pure fight sports activities followers will fall asleep Friday evening hating Paul as a result of he’ll knockout Tyson on the Dallas Cowboys’ house subject after which declare, preposterously, that he is the face of boxing.
Will it’s the primary spherical? I am unsure, however in some unspecified time in the future, Paul will contact Tyson’s 58-year-old chin and render him unconscious, which pains me to jot down.
To cite Spanish thinker, George Santayana, “Those that can not bear in mind the previous are condemned to repeat it.”
It’s already written.
For way more on the upcoming Paul vs. Tyson boxing spectacle click on right here.
