'It's disrespectful' – Jake Paul hits back at KSI and the critics of fight with 'old guy' Mike Tyson

23/08/2024 11:14

Jake Paul has vehemently defended his decision to fight Mike Tyson.

Earlier this year, Paul sent shockwaves through the combat sports world when he announced his next opponent would be the 58-year-old former heavyweight world champion.

The 27-year-old faced even more backlash when their fight was postponed because Tyson suffered a mid-air medical emergency that delayed the bout until November 15.

Paul's long-time rival, KSI, has been one of the fight’s most vocal critics.

The influencer, singer, fighter, and Misfits Boxing promoter appeared on Friday's episode of talkSPORT Breakfast and gave his brutally honest verdict on Paul vs Tyson.

"I think it's stupid," KSI said. "He's trying to fight an OAP."

"He has no business to be fighting a man that can barely walk.

"He hasn't fought in years. It just makes no sense, but it's Jake Paul.

"For him, it's all about trying to take advantage of people who don't have an advantage, and it's boring. I wish Netflix didn't entertain it, but it is what it is.

"Yeah, I just think it's ridiculous."

Paul was asked about the backlash to his fight with Tyson during an interview with talkSPORT MMA's Gareth A. Davies at a PFL press conference in Washington for Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira.

"I think it's disrespectful to Mike, first and foremost," he said.

"And then I would say to them 'Get in the ring with him'. If Mike wants to fight, then Mike wants to fight. If he wants to make it a pro fight then, 'Okay!'

"I wanna fight Mike Tyson, that's legendary. It's an honour to be in the ring with him, and if he wants the fight to be a pro fight then, 'Okay, let's do it'."

Tyson hasn't fought professionally since being knocked out by Kevin McBride in 2005 – but his comeback opponent thinks he still looks like the menacing fighter he once was.

Paul added: "You look at his training videos, look at him on the mitts, you look at him in person – he has a 30lb weight advantage and is giant strong.

"So, people can say what they want about it, but they are still going to watch."

Paul believes the intrigue surrounding his fight with Tyson stems from the fact that fight fans old and young are interested in how it plays out.

"I get the old guard and old people wanna see me lose," he concluded.

"At the end of the day, that's what makes this fight interesting, the two generations coming together.

"I think 30 years and older want Mike Tyson [to win], 25 and younger want me to win. That's what makes it very interesting.

"At the end of the day, the power is the last thing to go. I have to be super-alert, and super-sharp throughout the fight because if he hits me with one of those Mike Tyson punches it could end.

"It's a very dangerous fight. He's the best boxer I've been in there with, the most experienced, the best record, all of the above."