Legendary broadcaster and boxing Hall of Famer Al Bernstein expressed some worry as to what Jake Paul might do to Mike Tyson in their upcoming bout.
Bernstein noted Tyson’s “advanced age” in taking on this fight, as he prepares to battle the 27-year-old Paul at the age of 58.
He also noted that the end of Tyson’s legitimate boxing career ended in less than spectacular fashion. He lost three of his last four fights – two by knockout and one by stoppage. And those were roughly 20 years ago!
“In his high 50s, you worry about what could happen to Tyson in this fight, to be honest,” Bernstein said during an interview with “The Ricky Cobb Show“.
“I did Mike Tyson’s last two legitimate boxing matches when he lost to Danny Williams and [Kevin] McBride, and that was a long, long time ago, and he didn’t perform as well in those fights as he wanted.”
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Al Bernstein Worried About Mike Tyson’s Safety
The battle between Jake Paul and “Iron” Mike Tyson is scheduled for Friday, November 15th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Originally set for July 20th, the fight was postponed due to Tyson experiencing health issues related to an ulcer flare-up.
And while Paul joked that he was on a “menopause break”, it marked a moment in which boxing fans really seemed to realize they were dealing not with the “baddest man on the planet”, but an actual 58-year-old human being with weaknesses.
Nostalgia took a backseat to reality at that moment. And Al Bernstein seems genuinely concerned about Tyson’s health and safety.
“It’s hard to imagine at this advanced age he’s going to discover something he didn’t have in his last two fights 25 or 30 years ago, so I don’t know,” he said.
“I mean it’s hard to imagine him being effective in this, but I just hope everybody gets through it safely. That would be my only hope.”
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Jabs Jake Paul Too
The legendary boxing broadcaster also took a shot at Jake Paul, suggesting if the “Problem Child” were pursuing bouts against legitimate professional boxers he’d be a “cruiserweight with a winning record but not anything special.”
Bernstein pointed out that these “celebrity” matches are more about making money, less about advancing the sport, and “means nothing” in the overall scheme of things for boxing.
“My feeling is, at the end of the day, it means nothing to the sport of boxing. Literally nothing, it is – they’re all one-offs. I don’t subscribe to the theory that they bring new fans, or it drives fans away,” he said.
“People, for whatever reason, want to see it, and if you can make a dollar off of it in this day and age, you can have it.”
Paul will be making more than a few dollars off his celebrity match with Mike Tyson. He is reportedly getting a $40 million payday for taking part.
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