Jake Paul doesn't have Mike Tyson's "best interests at heart," says Eddie Hearn: "He was shot to pieces"
Eddie Hearn has addressed the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight and reiterated his stance regarding it. The Matchroom Boxing promoter has suggested that Paul and others who support the fight either don't care about Tyson's well-being or are unintelligent.
Earlier this year, it was announced that YouTuber-cum-boxer Paul would face former undisputed heavyweight champion boxer Tyson in the latter's return to professional boxing. They were to clash on July 20, 2024, but Tyson was sidelined after an ulcer flare-up in May. Instead, Paul fought and knocked out ex-UFC welterweight and BKFC star Mike Perry.
Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) was subsequently rescheduled to face Tyson (50 wins, 6 losses, 2 No Contests; 44 KOs). Their professional boxing bout will headline a card at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, U.S.A., on Nov. 15, 2024. While Paul is an active boxer, Tyson's last pro boxing match came way back in June 2005.
Additionally, Tyson's last exhibition boxing bout transpired in Nov. 2020. Many feel the 27-year-old Paul fighting the 58-year-old Tyson at this point in their respective careers is a risky proposition for the older fighter.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Eddie Hearn notably sounded off on Jake Paul and the others associated with the organization of the Paul-Tyson fight. The 45-year-old indicated that Tyson was past his athletic prime 20 years ago. He stated:
"What, what, what on earth are we doing? ... I'm lucky enough to have a business where we don't need to do that. And I will never do that ... Anyone that thinks that [Tyson] should be in the ring right now either doesn't have his best interests at heart or is an idiot."
He added:
"Mike Tyson left the sport of boxing -- which was, what, 20 years ago, I don't know, something like that -- he was shot to pieces. You honestly think that a fighter that was shot to pieces 20 years ago should now be coming back?"
Hearn echoed the sentiments of many fans and experts by implying that Paul isn't an elite fighter but is young, trains regularly, and hits hard. Having himself promoted the Logan Paul vs. KSI influencer boxing match in 2019, he acknowledged that the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson matchup makes sense from a business perspective.
However, Hearn, who's long opposed the Paul-Tyson fight, seemed to suggest that he won't put on such a matchup in a million years.
Mike Tyson's former sparring partner on Jake Paul possibly misjudging 'Iron's' power
The Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. boxing match in 2020 headlined a card that witnessed Jake Paul knock NBA veteran Nate Robinson out on the undercard. In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Tyson's former sparring partner Joe Egan revisited the Tyson fight. He opined that the 58-year-old was pulling his punches to avoid hurting or knocking out fellow legend Jones in their exhibition bout.
Egan appeared to speculate that Paul probably misperceived it and assumed Tyson lacks punching power, which is why he wants to fight 'Iron.' In stark contrast to many others, Egan feels Tyson could still hurt Paul. Nevertheless, the retired boxer foresees the Paul-Tyson fight resembling a "glorified sparring session." The Irishman said:
"Jake Paul boxed on the undercard, and I think when he saw Mike pull his punches, they probably felt confident."