Mike Tyson has received pleading messages from many boxing fans who want him to beat Jake Paul ahead of their fight next month.
Iron Mike will be taking part in his first bout in four years when he faces Paul in Texas on November 15.
Tyson is a legend of the sport, a man widely considered to be one of the best heavyweights of all time.
As for Paul, the 27-year-old is a divisive figure – with his decision to fight a man who is 31 years his senior raising eyebrows.
Mike Tyson has received pleading messages from many boxing fans who want him to beat Jake Paul ahead of their fight next month
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As the clash rapidly approaches, Tyson has taken to social media to share an image of himself in training.
He accompanied his upload with a caption that read: “Tenderizing ribs.”
And many boxing fans have now pleaded with Tyson to get the better of Paul and prove he’s still got the magic of old, despite his age.
“Please drop that dude with the spaghetti hair,” were the words of one user.
A second said: “Knock out Jake please.”
A third wrote: “Hey @MikeTyson please, for the love of God, don’t lose to Jake Paul. Sincerely, the entire world.”
Another fan said: Man I hope this is a real fight and not some bulls**t money grab. I really wanna see you knock Jake’s a** out!”
And a fifth wrote: “Please don’t go and get beat up by Jake Paul.”
READ MORE: Jake Paul training footage sets off alarm bells ahead of controversial Mike Tyson boxing fight
Tyson won 50 fights throughout his career, with a staggering 44 of those coming via knockout.
It’ll be fascinating to see how he performs when he goes up against Paul, who will start as the favourite given he’s got youth on his side.
Former UFC star Daniel Cormier, meanwhile, believes Tyson looks ‘great’ as he prepares for his exciting return to boxing.
And he also thinks the fight is a ‘lose-lose’ for Paul, too.
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Tenderizing ribs pic.twitter.com/e6JSzd97gn
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) October 6, 2024
“I understand that [he looks good at 58], and I get what he’s saying [he feels great],” he said on his show, Funky and the Champ.
“I do agree when he’s hitting pads with Rafael Cordeiro. It looks like there’s still something left in there.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I watched Jake Paul get pressed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable.
“It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But then Jake has a reserve tank to go to and get and draw from because he’s 28 years old. Then he comes back and ultimately finishes Mike Perry.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will fight it out on November 15Getty
“Early in the fight, Mike Perry is getting beat on and dropped. He looks out-manned and outmatched.
“That is my concern because what if this looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man, where Mike can’t draw from that reserve tank to stay and compete with this young kid?
“I think it’s a lose-lose for Jake Paul because if you beat up Mike Tyson, everybody loves Mike Tyson.”