YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will settle their rivalry on February 26 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
The two boxers have enjoyed unbeaten starts to their professional careers, with Paul racking up six straight victories to Fury's eight-fight win streak. Paul arguably has a greater pedigree of fighters on his record, including former mixed martial arts champions Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson weighed in on the Paul vs. Fury fight and spoke about 'The Problem Child's' commercial prowess. Tyson put the social media star in the same tier as the biggest heavyweight boxers and Canelo Alvarez, who is one of the highest earners in the sport and has been a champion across multiple divisions.
Tyson said in an interview with Boxing Social:
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“It shows the market power of Jake Paul. He’s the biggest thing in boxing right now besides the heavyweights. The heavyweights are the only thing bigger than him. The heavyweights and probably Alvarez. None of the other guys are bigger than him, not the lightweights, not even the light heavyweights.”
'Iron Mike' then gave his prediction for the fight:
“I’ve never seen [Tommy] Fury fight, I don’t think he’ll be able to beat Jake Paul. Jake Paul is getting better and better as he fights, and I don’t know if they brought him over here to lose – we’re going to find out. Somebody is getting knocked out, somebody is going down. Someone’s zero has got to go.”
Check out Mike Tyson's interview with Boxing Social on YouTube:
Jake Paul declares he will be world champion and that he is capable of it
A win against Tommy Fury could also earn Jake Paul a top 15 ranking in the WBC, which opens up a pathway for him to challenge for the world title.
The opportunity is not lost on 'The Problem Child', who believes that he is capable of achieving world champion status. In an interview with Max Kellerman on Top Rank Boxing, Paul stated that his training experience and exposure to champion fighters have prepared him to contend:
"I am going to be a world champion. Simple and plain, it's a clear goal and I know I can do it. I spar against world champions, I train with world champions, my coaches, two of them are world champions. So, I know I have what it takes, I know I'm capable of it."
Check out Paul's comments on Top Rank Boxing on YouTube below: