Mike Tyson lashes out at Deontay Wilder in surprise dig after Jake Paul fight criticism

07/18/2024 10:52 AM

Mike Tyson has taken a swipe at Deontay Wilder after criticism of his Jake Paul comeback fight.

The heavyweight legend will return to the ring in November at the age of 58 in a surprising sanctioned bout against YouTube star Jake Paul.

Widespread criticism from the boxing world has gone the way of the pair, given the potential health risks in Tyson fighting again well past his brilliant prime.

American heavyweight Wilder simply suggested that the veteran was ‘too old’ to step in the ring and take on a much younger fighter.

But ‘Iron Mike’ has claimed Wilder should be focusing on his own recent exploits at the age of 38.

“Then let Mike get hurt. You don't have to worry about paying my bills,” he responded to Esquire.

“Everyone says this makes no sense, but he's how old?

“He's not who I am. He can't go to Mongolia and have somebody know who the f*** he is."

The pair have gone back and forth in the past including when Wilder suggested he would ‘kick the hell’ out of Tyson if the pair met in their fighting primes.

Wilder even went as far as questioning the former undisputed champion’s professional resume, which didn’t go down too well.

Irrespective of Wilder’s opinion, Tyson will return on the delayed date of November 15, having already been forced to postpone the bout after suffering a medical issue.

The heavyweight veteran has spoken confidently of winning the fight, despite his physical condition being far from its pinnacle.

Tyson has even gone to great lengths to prove his fitness, by posting regular training footage in which he looks to hold some real punch power even years after his career.

Several have tried and failed to make a comeback including former rival Roy Jones Jr, who succumbed to a points defeat against MMA fighter Anthony Pettis.

Wilder is extremely fearful for Tyson despite being against less experienced Paul.

“I think it’s bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn’t been active in 20 years, so they should not just licence him because of who he is, that’s how people get hurt, god forbid he gets hurt,” he said.

“People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there’s lots of examples where guys have been hit into a coma.

“It’s easy to do. He’s too old for this. At the end of the day, no one gives a f*** about Mike.

“We can talk about the pros and cons, but at the end of the day, they don’t give a f***. I don’t think anyone cares about Mike because if they did they wouldn’t sanction the fight.

“They may say they’ve done tests and all that, ok, but as long as you’re willing to suffer the consequences if something bad goes wrong.

“His power may not have left completely but you still need to set it up, your stamina needs to be a certain way, or it’s going to look like a clown show.”