Whether it be the 31-year age difference between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul or the fact that ‘Iron’ Mike accepted the fight in the first place. Everything to do with the July 20 showdown has been facing criticism to some extent. And Tyson’s recent sparring footage has met the same fate.

Boxing insider Fight Hype uploaded a video of ‘The Baddest’ preparing for the fight against the ‘Problem Child’ on YouTube. They wrote, “Heavyweight Hall of Fame legend Mike Tyson is back in the gym putting in work with 2-time Coach of the Year Rafael Cordeiro as he prepares to step back into the ring again.” The last time Tyson was in the ring was against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. That, coupled with the legend having turned 58 when the fight happens, has many people worried. However, Cordeiro isn’t one of them.

In a conversation with The MMA Hour, the coach said, “I believe people don’t have to be concerned. We’re talking about a guy who was a two-time champ. He knows how to fight. He fought against the best guys in the world.” Considering the amount of work Mike Tyson has been putting in (if videos on social media like this one are anything to go by), he seems to be treating it like any other fight. However, the content of the Fight Hype video was the cause for criticism.

In the first part, the former heavyweight champion wore sparring gear while practicing with Cordeiro. But it was the contradiction between the caption and what happened in the video that was striking. The caption read, “Mike Tyson SPARRING LEAK; Shows LEGENDARY BOB & WEAVE Skills in store for Jake Paul.” In the video, though, Cordeiro seemed to first get a straight punch to the front of the head, following which Tyson did bob and weave. However, the coach got three more hits on the top of the head.

Rafael Cordeiro said people have nothing to be worried about. He believes that come July 20, “Mike is going to step in the ring as the old Mike Tyson.” When asked for a prediction based on his sessions with Tyson, Cordeiro simply stated, “First-round KO. This is Mike Tyson. This is the way he fights.” Based on Fight Hype’s video, though, many in the boxing community beg to differ.

Apart from the age disparity, the big question on almost everyone’s minds is: Does he still have what it takes to win – like Cordeiro said – especially against someone over 30 years his junior? Well, fans gave their honest take in the comments of the Fight Hype video.

From rumors of a “fake exhibition match” to concealing the truth: Is Mike Tyson really ready for Jake Paul?

One of the first things many viewers noticed was the old footage. Seeing as the caption read, “Mike Tyson SPARRING LEAK,” the video didn’t technically count as a leak because people had already seen it. A fan mentioned precisely this while highlighting that Mike Tyson’s “legendary bob and weave skills” in the video weren’t really legendary. They wrote, “It’s old and Mike took 3 shots to the top of the head… come on, guys.”

One of the most basic aspects of boxing is keeping your hands up to protect the face and head. Evidently, Tyson wasn’t doing that in the video, which allowed Cordeiro to get those shots to the head in. Alluding to this, another fan – albeit seeming apologetic – wrote, “I feel dead wrong for even voicing my opinion on a legend doing the craft he is legendary at but he should keep them hands up. Could get hurt ducking like that leaving his head open.”

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Considering the footage didn’t really paint the former champion’s form in the best light, a user wrote, “Mike’s too old to even be sparring, y’all… He’s gonna end up like Ali.” Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which is believed to have been a result of repeated head trauma during his boxing career. He retired when he was 39. Tyson is 57 going on 58, and he’s going up against a fired-up Jake Paul, who’s extremely motivated to end Tyson’s career. Given this and all the sparring he’s been doing, the user’s concern isn’t unfounded.

In another comparison, a viewer stated, “Mike looking to end his career like Evander Hollyfield, I feel sad for him.” Evander Holyfield, in the later stages of his career, was seen as a fighter who had potential but did not fight his best fights. This brought up another speculation about the fight going around. “Doesn’t matter how good Mike looks. I just read that this is going to be a fake exhibition match. Not a real fight,” expressed a user.

There have been rumors that Tyson and Paul will wear 16oz gloves instead of the 10oz ones. And in place of the usual 3-minute rounds, the fight at the AT&T Stadium will feature 2-minute ones. The most striking rumored rule was that only a knockout would decide the winner. Although Paul’s business partner quashed these speculations, whether their fight will be an exhibition or a real match is still unclear.

Along similar lines, others added, “⁠This is bs. I can’t believe people really think this is going to be a real fight. It’s going to be a glorified sparring match” and “Is not even a real fight 2 min rd’s with 16oz gloves, no judges? Yeah Mike dont want that smoke.” Not everyone was critical about the video, though. A few thought the boxer wasn’t really letting on the full extent of his preparation.

“His shirt is too dry. I think Mike’s tricking everyone by putting out footage at the beginning of training,” one speculated. And another just hoped for the best: “I’m seriously hoping this has been put out to purposely make Mike look bad.”

What’s your take on the Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul fight? Let us know in the comments section below.

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