Holyfield famously fought Tyson twice in the 1990s, so he knows who he’s talking about.

Boxing has just come out of one of its biggest weeks following the crowning of Oleksander Usyk as the undisputed heavyweight champion, but now all eyes look ahead to Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul, and Evander Holyfield has some words of wisdom for Iron Mike against the ex-YouTuber.

Tyson is one of the greatest heavyweights ever and his victory in a professional fight against an opponent 30 years younger could mark the end of Paul‘s bid to become a serious boxer, although the rules have been adapted to eight rounds of two minutes each and with 14-ounce gloves.

Regardless, seeing Tyson in action again is something no one wants to miss, and they will get to see him step into the ring on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in a fight that will be streamed exclusively by Netflix.

“I personally don’t see it that way,” Holyfield told FightHubTV on whether a loss hurts Tyson‘s legacy. “He’s a guy who’s fought all his life and chose any reason to fight.

“We already know he’s not going to be as fast as he was, but if he catches him [Paul]. We know you don’t lose your strength. I think he can catch him with his left hand above all. Mike knows you don’t need to punch a guy in the face all the time.”

The former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion bets on the use of that left hook of Iron Mike to the body or head, which did so much damage in his meteoric rise to the top.

Holyfield also points to the well-known ‘gazelle hook or punch’ as a weapon. It’s called this because of how fighters carry the weight in the front leg and flex the back leg to launch, creating a mini jump. It was taught by Cus D’Amato to Floyd Patterson first, and then Tyson.

Why do boxers work the body?

Working the body is a fundamental strategy in boxing that can lead to both physical and psychological advantages by wearing down the opponent, creating opportunities for head shots, and can have cumulative effects that play a crucial role in determining the outcome of a fight.

Boxers who effectively target the body can control the pace of the match, force their opponent into defensive positions, and capitalize on openings created by their opponent’s discomfort and fatigue.

They can also outright win if they find a well-placed liver shot can cause intense pain and even knock an opponent down, temporarily paralyzing them due to the shock to the nervous system as Ryan Garcia did against Luke Campbell in 2021.