If 27-year-old Jake Paul can fight against 58-year-old Mike Tyson, then what about a boxer who is 33 years old? Will his claim become more legit? Tough question, tougher answer. Ask Shane Mosley Jr., who snatched away ‘The Miracle Man’s miracle and has now rightfully earned a pivotal position in the middleweight landscape. Last Saturday, he defeated Daniel Jacobs on the Nate Diaz–Jorge Masvidal fight card at Anaheim’s Honda Center.

Mosley Jr. is now a serious contender in the 160 pounds. He has already sounded off the war bugle at his first target, Erislandy Lara. Not sure whether the 41-year-old has heard it or not. So if not the Cuban American champion, then who else? Mike Tyson? If Shane Mosley Jr. has to follow Jake Paul’s footsteps, then the fight with the boxing great has to go through a fine print.

Shane Mosley Jr.: It’s carpe diem

But first, where did this thought of a fight between Mike Tyson and Shane Mosley Jr. come up? It was on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’, where NFL reporter Tom Pelissero asked the Pomona-born middleweight boxer about the matchup. They were discussing ‘The Problem Child’s foray into boxing and how it had altered the equation as far as the crossover scene goes.

“I know you’re not a heavyweight, but how old would Mike Tyson have to be for you to get in the ring with him?” asked Pelissero. The answer surely swirled inside Shane Mosley Jr.’s mind. But he just laughed it out—the mere thought of such a line-up: Shane Mosley Jr. versus Mike Tyson. “Man,” he said, adding, “he’d have to be pretty old.”

Mosley Jr. then explained why there are weight classes in combat sports. He then shared how Jake Paul had bulked over in recent times. He is a middleweight boxer. But unlike him, ‘The Problem Child’ can handle weight in the neighborhood of 200 pounds and more fairly well. “I’m not a really, really big guy like Mike Tyson, so he’d have to be pretty old for that,” said ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley‘s son.

But the reply only ended, arousing Tom Pelissero’s curiosity. He asked whether Mosley Jr. envisioned himself fighting when he reached a certain advanced age. The middleweight contender once again gave a straightforward answer. He said, “To be honest, I feel like if I haven’t gotten all I needed to get out of this game before I’m 40, it wasn’t meant for me; it wasn’t meant for me.”

It was apparent that Shane Mosley Jr. took the whole discussion lightheartedly. But there’s no point in denying that the glaring age gap between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson has come under question across several corners.

Dance in the Ring: A Case for and Against

After Mike Tyson’s recent mid-air ulcer flared up, Michael Bisping called out the whole fight thing a sham. Criticizing Jake Paul, he said that instead of going against young opponents, the Ohioan is rather pushing his boundaries by going against opponents who are now touching 60.

But there is also a counterargument. Paul’s close associate and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder, Nakisa Bidarian, rather felt that the Paul-Tyson clash fits with the fact ‘because of age’. If Mike were in his early 30s, given Jake’s experience there’s there’s no sense to the fact that age is the equalizing factor,” he said while speaking with Ariel Helwani.

Perhaps the debate may continue in several corners. In the meantime, fans can look forward to some exciting boxing from Shane Mosley Jr. Who knows, the fight with Lara may eventually happen sometime soon.

What’s your take on the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson coming on November 15?