"I am concerned. Yeah, 100%."
Amir Khan has expressed concerns about Mike Tyson ahead of his bout with Jake Paul on November 15, 2024.
Tyson will be stepping into the ring against the YouTuber-turned-boxer in his first professional bout since 2005.
His last bout was an exhibition clash against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
The stakes are much higher as the result will count on Tyson and Paul’s records.
Less than four months after Mike Tyson had to withdraw from the original fight date due to an ulcer flare-up, Amir Khan admitted he is worried for the boxing legend.
Khan said: “You know what, the thing is there is a lot of weight advantage and to be honest with you, Mike is a friend of mine and I FaceTime him and we speak.
“But when you’ve got a 65-year-old man fighting a young, at-his-peak fighter you do feel sorry – but you can’t feel too sorry for Mike Tyson because he’s taken that chance.
“I am concerned. Yeah, 100%. Every fight you go into, especially at the age he’s at [risk].
“Is he going to take it seriously? I think so, but how seriously is he going to take it?
“Everyone remembers Mike Tyson, that tough tough fighter, that great world champion, that animal of a fighter, but I don’t want a fight like this to tarnish his record because a lot of people are going to think he’s a joke.
“We don’t really want it to get to that.
“Fighters who have been world champions, and been up there as one of the best out there, now being beaten by YouTubers?
“It’s not a good look for boxing.”
Mike Tyson won 50 bouts, 44 by knockout.
But he also lost six fights, three of which came in the final four fights of his career against Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride.
Tyson is in phenomenal shape ahead of his fight against Paul but the likes of Amir Khan are still worried.
Despite this, Lennox Lewis is backing his former foe to win.
He said: “Mike Tyson’s gonna win. He’s not that old. Don’t take him too softly.
“We’re one year apart. You can fight somebody like that and do well because the person you’re fighting is not a ‘true’ fighter and there’s a hundred things that you’ve forgotten that he’s learning.”
Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul will be streamed globally on Netflix.
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