Mike Tyson says Jake Paul fight must happen THIS YEAR despite 30-year age gap and claims YouTuber is ‘skilled enough’
MIKE TYSON is open to sensationally fighting Jake Paul - but warned it must happen this year.
And the youngest heavyweight champion of all time seemingly has no concerns over their skill or 30-year age gap.
Tyson said on "Anything is possible, it's got to happen this year, got to happen this year."
Iron Mike, 55, retired professionally in 2005 and has gone on to build a cannabis empire.
In November 2020 he made a sensational boxing comeback and drew with Roy Jones Jr, 53, over eight exhibition rounds.
Tyson has since been linked with a fight against YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul, 25, who won on his undercard two years ago.
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He said: "I've never taken it very serious but that could be really interesting.
"He's skilled enough yes, I'm going to give it to him, he's skilled enough because he keeps winning.
"Even if he's fighting guys you don't believe are good enough fighters, they should be able to beat him, but they can't.
"So he's beating people who really he shouldn't really be beating, we've got to give him that credit.
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"He's beating people that he should not really be beating and he's doing good, man."
Paul last fought in December in a short-notice rematch against Tyron Woodley, 40, after Tommy Fury, 23, pulled out of their grudge match.
He knocked out replacement Woodley, having previously beaten the ex-UFC champion on points in August.
It added to KOs over gamer "AnEsonGib", ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37, and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37.
He is set to return on August 6 at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.
It is the same iconic venue he promoted the women's super-fight in April between Katie Taylor, 35, and Amanda Serrano, 33.
Tyson is full of praise for Paul's impact on the sport, both in and out of the ring.
The American icon said: "He's doing so much good for boxing. Listen, this guy's got 70 million people following him every time he fights.
"Champions of the world don't even have that many people follow them.
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"So what he's doing for boxing is sensational, no one should be hating on that.
"They shouldn't care, he's helping everyone get money, so why would they be mad at him?"
