Angry about Jake Paul v Mike Tyson? That’s the whole point of ‘influencer boxing’ | Tom Usher

Boxing purists may say these bouts cheapen the sport, but in a world where content is king, they will only become more common

When I saw that the YouTuber turned celebrity boxer Jake Paul is going to fight Mike Tyson on 20 July, broadcast live on Netflix, my first thought was: is this a joke? But I quickly realised that, like much of contemporary life, it was too stupid to be a joke, and so must be real. My second thought was: wouldn't it be great to see Tyson - a former heavyweight champion - tenderise Paul's body with some hooks, duck, then unleash the most savage-looking uppercut you've seen on his jaw? Maybe Iron Mike could even bite his ear off as well, just for old times' sake.

Unfortunately for me and other misty-eyed boxing fans, Tyson will be 58 by the time the fight comes around, so that's probably not going to happen. What is probably going to happen is that Paul will box at a range that's too far for his opponent to reach until the old man he's facing gets tired, then he'll either knock him out or the match will be declared a draw.

Tom Usher is a freelance writer

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