Former heavyweight king Larry Holmes faced a young Mike Tyson when he himself was an “old man” (the age of 38 was considered advanced for a boxer back in the 1980s), and he paid the price, Holmes being quite brutally taken down in the fourth round. Now, next month, Tyson will be the old man in the ring (and Tyson IS old at age 58), this when he faces Jake Paul.
Plenty of people are worried for Mike the way they were worried for Larry. Could we see Tyson take a beating and get knocked out in the fight with 27-year-old Paul? Holmes, in speaking to OLGB, said that Tyson’s legacy is safe no matter what happens on November 15th but that people will “go crazy” if Paul does get the win.
“No, it won’t affect Tyson’s legacy if he loses, but if Jake Paul wins, all hell is going to break loose,” Holmes said. “If Jake Paul wins they’re going to have a parade all set up, that’s what’s going to happen. I’m not saying he wins, but if he does, people are going to go crazy. But I don’t care who wins, these guys are making more money in one fight than I did in 70 fights. I’m glad these guys are making money.”
Holmes still comes across as somewhat bitter at times, making it clear he feels he should have picked up more money than he did. But Holmes today is recognized as a true great; Holmes has his full respect today, that’s for certain. Holmes says he doesn’t care who wins when Tyson and Paul fight, but he must have some interest. Hence, he is taking the time to speak about the fight.
Holmes breaks it down like this:
“I watched a clip of Mike Tyson this morning, and all I can say is that Jake Paul had better be ready if he’s going to fight Mike,” Holmes continued in the interview with the betting site. “Mike will be able to last the two-minute rounds. Mike comes to fight when he puts his mind to it; he goes to work on you. And that’s what I’ve seen today. And if this guy tries to trade punches with Mike, he loses. Mike is a puncher. I fought Mike, and he hit me, and that was the end of it. Earnie Shavers was one of the hardest punchers there’s ever been, and Mike is right up there with him at the top.”
It sure sounds as though Holmes is interested in the Tyson-Paul fight and in who wins…… In any case, Holmes is right when he speaks about Tyson’s power, but can Tyson find the sweet spot when he fights Paul? If the fight, the much-maligned fight, one that has already been postponed once due to Tyson’s health, actually goes ahead this time, that is.
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