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“It’s a s**t comparison”: Weighing Up Mike Tyson and Jake Paul at 18 Sets Social Media Ablaze 

Published 03/29/2024, 12:15 PM EDT

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One criticism against the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight is the age disparity that exists between the two fighters. While Paul, 27, is seemingly in his prime today, Tyson, will be 58 by the time they fight, highlighting an almost 30-year difference. However, for argument’s sake, if we keep the two of them in comparison with each other, at a common age, say at 18, what would be the conclusion?

On the 20th of July, at the massive AT&T stadium of Arlington, Texas, the two fighters will fight in a highly controversial matchup. For Paul, it will be his 11th fight in his nascent boxing career. However, his opponent, the legendary, ‘Iron Mike’ takes to the ring almost four years after his last exhibition matchup against Roy Jones Jr. Will he be able to dominate the ring like he did in his prime, which passed decades ago? Fans have their predictions ready.

An unusual comparison

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On an Instagram account called ‘sugarrayrobinsonofficial’, belonging to an online video creator, the user posted a comparative image of the fighters. In it, on one hand, was an 18-year-old, bulked-up Tyson and the other featured a young, 18-year-old, Paul, not as buffed as his next opponent.

The user sought a comparison between the fighters, how they looked, and would have faired against each other if both competed against each other when they were 18. In his caption, seeing Paul as the underdog, he wrote, “In what second would Jake Paul be knocked out if he faced Mike Tyson at the age of 18.”

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At 18, both of them lived very different lives. While Tyson was a rising name in the boxing space, Paul, perhaps would not even have outlined his trajectory as a boxer, let alone have ventured into the ring. Interestingly, in 1985, when Iron Mike turned 18, he turned pro against Hector Mercedes, whom he defeated in a first-round KO. Paul, in 2015, 18 then, had built himself as an influencer on the app, Vine, and had amassed a massive following on the growing social media scape.

While the premise of this comparison does not yield much of an argument, fans, however, hopped on the bandwagon.

At 18, who would win? Jake Paul or Mike Tyson?

One avid Tyson fan posed a rhetorical question, “NOW JUST IMAGINE IF THEY WERE TO BOTH FACE EACH OTHER AT THE AGE OF 18.”

Another user confident of Tyson’s prowess, saw him win a bout if he at 13, were to fight Paul at 19. They remarked, “13yr old Mike can knock out 19yr old Jake.”

On similar lines, another fan of Tyson argued against all of those who think Paul has a winning chance against the 50-6 record holder. They noted, “Why do people think Paul will win tysons been training for practically his whole life jake will be dead within 4 rounds mark my words.”

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Predicting that Paul would pull out of the fight prematurely, another user wrote, “Before the bell, he calls in sick…”

However, through these extreme predictions, a voice emerged that questioned the sensibility of this comparison. They explained, “I don’t rly care for Jake but this is such a dumb post the guy didn’t box at 18 at all Mike was already an upcoming boxing star it’s a sh*t.”

Do you think the comparison is valid? If yes, what is your take on it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Mohammed Shafiulla

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One take at a time

Mohammed Shafiulla is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master’s degree in Journalism from a reputed institute, Shafi has cemented his position as one of the astute observers of boxing at ES. One of the early supporters of Naoya Inoue, Shafi has covered his transition from a Japanese boxer with a niche fan following to a power-punching global boxing star.
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Edited by:

Snigdhaa Jaiswal