Mike Tyson’s Final Opponent Reflects on Taking a Punch from the 55-Year-Old Boxer: ‘Still the Strongest Puncher I’ve Faced
After dealing with a medical emergency on a flight, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul were forced to reschedule their boxing match in July to stream live with a Netflix subscription in November instead. This will give the veteran adequate time to heal from an ulcer and sports fans plenty of time to wonder if the legend can stand against Paul in the ring. Tyson’s last opponent, Roy Jones Jr., seems to think so. He recently praised the powerful punches from when they squared off back in 2020.
The two boxing legends squared off in what was called the Lockdown Knockdown and considered an exhibition between the two. While not an officially sanctioned match, it doesn’t seem like Mike Tyson pulled any punches, as Roy Jones Jr. talked on the Sugar Shane Show about receiving the strongest punches he ever took in his career:
Mike Tyson still the strongest puncher that I’ve ever been in the ring with. Ever. At 55 at the time, now I think 57 might be 58, he’s still the strongest puncher. First time he hit me in my chin I feel like a mule had kicked me in my chest.
Roy Jones Jr. isn’t saying anything that’s breaking news to boxing fans. Mike Tyson’s devastating power has long been talked about, and he’s widely considered by many to be one of the hardest-hitting boxers of all time. Granted, when most people talk about that power, they’re talking about Tyson in his prime. If Tyson is still hitting as hard as he once did four years ago, it’ll even the odds against Jake Paul.
Jake Paul might be thirty years younger than Mike Tyson, but his professional boxing career has partly been built on fights against less experienced opponents or MMA fighters who aren’t as used to strictly boxing. This is to say, they may not be able to throw punches with the same power as Tyson, and Roy Jones Jr. had a bold prediction for what would happen if Tyson lands one of his signature hits on Paul’s chin:
So if he hits anybody on the chin with a shot like that, they either going out or they’re going down. Especially guys that are not used to being hit like that, you know what I’m saying? These guys like Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, these guys are bigger and they can take it, but Jake Paul, I don’t think he’s gonna be able to take that if Mike hit him on the chin like that. We’ll see, but it’s gonna be tough.
This might be why Jake Paul is taking a fight with bare-knuckle boxing fighter Mike Perry, who is considered one of the more threatening opponents the boxer has challenged. While Paul is taking another opponent on July 20th, all reports thus far confirm he still has the intention of fighting Mike Tyson in November.
While some express doubt the big fight will ever happen, Jake Paul seems confident. It also seems like he’ll continue to troll the fighter as he recovers, which I wouldn’t advise. If a tough fighter like Roy Jones Jr. is saying Tyson’s hits felt like a mule kick only a few years back, I too will be curious to see if Paul can actually take a punch of that magnitude.
CinemaBlend will be waiting for Tyson vs. Paul to stream on Netflix in November, and keeping up with plenty of television in the meantime. Visit our 2024 TV schedule for a look at what’s ahead in the coming months, and start getting some premiere dates on the schedule.
