'It's a very even fight'… Jake Paul's former nemesis shares unusual opinion on Mike Tyson's upcoming boxing fight
11/04/2024 11:30 AM
After exiting the UFC, former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley accepted two boxing fights against Jake 'The Problem Child' Paul – losing the first via a split decision before being knocked out cold in their December 2021 rematch.
Whilst you would expect 'The Chosen One' to have a strong opinion one way or the other; he's actually predicting that the controversial boxing fight between Paul and Tyson will be much closer than expected.
Tyron Woodley justifies unusual take that Tyson vs Paul is a ‘very even fight'
Jake Paul is set to return to the boxing ring next weekend when he takes on former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson in front of a sold-out stadium crowd in Arlington, Texas.
Yet as the controversial matchup looms large over the horizon, Tyron Woodley is confident that the fight will be much closer than many fans expect.
"It's a very even fight, to be honest," Woodley told TMZ Sports, explaining how the only reason why he isn't picking Tyson outright is because he's closing in on his 59th birthday.
"It's even because of the age of Mike Tyson; I think it's an even fight because of the age of Mike Tyson. He's completely, obviously, out of his prime.
"In his prime, most of his fights were almost attempted murder. Literally Jake wouldn't have stood a chance, nobody would even commission or sanction a fight between him and [prime] Mike Tyson."
27-year-old Jake Paul is understandably a sizable betting favorite over the iconic former champion but win, lose, or draw; Woodley believes that 'The Problem Child' will still exit the AT&T Stadium victorious… Or at least claiming to be.
"Jake's always on a win-win situation, he's fighting guys that if he loses, 'He lost to this guy, you lost to Tyron, you lost to Anderson Silva, you lost to [Nate] Diaz' – he's always in a position where if he wins he goes up, if he loses it's like, OK, he took a risk, he took a chance."
"I like the fight [and] I'll be at the fight," stated Woodley, admitting that he was looking forward to sitting back and watching the action unfold as a fan, not as a fighter.
"I was originally fighting on the card, [but] we couldn't find a formidable opponent that made sense. So now it's just to support the event and be a part of a big event in combat sports.
"I'm glad I don't have to [make a pick], sometimes when I commentate or analyze I've got to have a strong [opinion] on who I think should win, but imma just watch them go to work."
Roy Jones Jr highlights rule change that could help 'Iron' score upset win
It should be noted that Paul vs Tyson will be conducted under a modified ruleset, with the fighters wearing the larger 14oz gloves and competing over eight, two-minute rounds.
Roy Jones Jr, who faced Tyson in an exhibition bout in 2020, recently argued that the modified rules will favor his fellow Hall of Famer.
"I'm going to tell you this, when I boxed him four years ago, it was only two-minute rounds but surprisingly he didn't decline, he stayed the same the whole fight," Jones explained via TalkSport.
"And that surprised me. If they are doing two-minute rounds then Mike is not going to tire out, I already know that because I watched him do that.
"I like Mike [and] probably by decision. But if he chooses to go out and take him out, I think he can… However, I feel like if he feels comfortable, he will just box and enjoy himself because why get in shape to go one round?"
Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul goes down on Friday, November 15 and will be available to stream via Netflix.
