As Jake Paul prepares to face boxing legend Mike Tyson in a ring encounter, the YouTuber is being tipped off by heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. According to Usyk, who himself will battle with Tyson Fury later this month, Paul should walk away from professional boxing.
The bout between the YouTube sensation and former heavyweight world champ, which has stirred diverging perspectives among boxing fans, is all set for this summer in Texas. Usyk’s brusque words came during a promotional clip when he was asked to react on Paul’s career, replying with a terse: “Stop boxing”. He also cited KSI, an adversary of Paul, as a “blogger”.
Anticipation for the Usyk-Fury showdown has been building since last April, when their original bout was first suggested. It was scheduled just before Christmas but had to be postponed after Fury faced some serious competition against Francis Ngannou in October, resulting in Fury asking for more time.
However, after sustaining an eye injury in his ultimate sparring session, the Brit was compelled to withdraw from the February 17 duel.
The stage is set for a heavyweight clash on May 18, with both fighters vying to become the first four-belt heavyweight champion and the undisputed champ of the division – something that hasn’t been achieved since Lennox Lewis’s reign in 1999. Usyk is also hoping to follow in Evander Holyfield’s footsteps by becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion after already dominating the cruiserweight division.
In the run-up, Usyk has confessed: “I’m not 100 per cent sure [the fight will happen],” adding that only when he’s facing Tyson Fury in the ring and hears the sound of the bell, will he be sure it’s game time.
On the other hand, Fury confidently stated: “I’m in fantastic shape. I’m having a fantastic training camp and have got a good team around me, everything is going to plan. I’m working very hard, I’ve got my dad in camp this time, so I’ve got my secret weapon. We’ve got a full circus camp, so can’t do any more really.”