Deontay Wilder, a former heavyweight boxing title holder, thinks Mike Tyson might have bitten off more than he chew with his match against Jake Paul this summer.
In fact, Wilder even says that Tyson could end up in a coma and that no one is looking out for the fighter once known as the Baddest Man on the Planet.
“I think it’s bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn’t been active in 20 years, so they should not just license him because of who he is, that’s how people get hurt – God forbid he gets hurt,” Wilder said to Sportsbook Review.
“People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there are a lot of examples where guys have been hit into a coma. It’s easy to do. He’s too old for this.
“At the end of the day, no one gives a f— about Mike.”
While the July 20 fight between Tyson and Paul, who is 30 years his junior, originally was slated to be an exhibition matchup, it officially was sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations as a professional fight last month.
Wilder added that he didn’t care that Tyson underwent tests to get the fight sanctioned, and warned there could be dire consequences.
“As long as you’re willing to suffer the consequences if something bad goes wrong,” Wilder said.
Tyson has shared several videos of himself training on social media since the blockbuster fight – which will be streamed live on Netflix from AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys — was announced earlier this year.
While many have been impressed by the former champion’s power and speed, Wilder isn’t buying it.
“His power may not have left completely, but you still need to set it up, your stamina needs to be a certain way, or it’s going to look like a clown show. I don’t want to see it to be honest,” Wilder said.
“I don’t want the last thing I remember of him is him getting knocked out by a YouTuber. The last thing you do, that’s what people remember you by.”
After the announcement that the fight had been sanctioned, Paul said he is “super respectful” of Tyson, but added that “all is fair in love and war.”
“I love the guy, but as soon as it turned into a pro fight, one of us has to die,” the YouTube star-turned-boxer said.
While Paul and Tyson prepare for their fight, Wilder will be stepping into the ring with Zhilei Zhang on June 1.