Mike Tyson’s former sparring partner, Joe Egan, has issued a stark warning to Mike Tyson ahead of his upcoming fight with Jake Paul.
Egan, who trained alongside Tyson during their amateur days, believes the boxing legend must secure a knockout victory to protect his legacy.
The Irishman fears Tyson’s historic achievements could be tarnished if he loses to the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
The high-stakes bout, scheduled for Friday, has sparked concern from those close to the former heavyweight champion given the huge 31-year age gap between the two men.
Mike Tyson has received a warning ahead of his boxing fight with Jake Paul on Friday
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“I think Paul is going to be confronted with that wrecking machine on the 15th, and I sort of say this in hope, I hope that Mike knocks him out,” Egan told The Sun.
“Because, its going to diminish his achievements of the 91 seconds against Michael Spinks, three rounds with Trevor Berbick.
“It’s going to take away from all of that because Jake Paul isn’t the man to beat Mike Tyson at this stage of his life or at this age of his career, because he will tarnish his reputation as an all-time great.”
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Mike Tyson’s former sparring partner, Joe Egan, fears the boxing icon is risking his legacy ahead of his bout with Jake Paul
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Egan’s connection to Tyson runs deep, having spent two years training with him before Iron Mike’s historic achievement of becoming the youngest heavyweight champion at age 20 in 1986.The pair developed a lasting friendship after their sparring sessions in the Catskills, New York.
Their bond remained strong throughout Tyson’s career, with Egan even attending Iron Mike’s final professional fight when he lost to Kevin McBride in 2005.
“I was at that fight in Washington DC, but it was a shell of a man,” Egan recalled of that infamous night in the capital of America.
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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s fight was first announced in March with just days to go until the bout
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Despite his concerns, however, Egan acknowledged Paul’s credentials as a boxer, noting his record of ten wins and one loss to Tommy Fury – which happened in February last year.
The former Irish boxer, who retired with a 13-3 record, praised Paul’s natural fighting spirit and how he’s shown huge desire to succeed in the sport so far.
“Jake Paul has got something that fighters are born with, and that’s courage,” he said.
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“You can teach a person skills but you can’t teach them courage.
“Now, if you haven’t got courage, you go and play other sports. You don’t play boxing. You play basketball, you play golf, you play tennis, you play soccer, you don’t play boxing so he’s got quality that I admire.
“He’s got an admirable quality. The fact that he wants to climb into the ring with the most powerful puncher of his era, 58 or 28 – doesn’t matter. Mike Tyson is still a wrecking machine.”
Tyson’s last fight was against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
That clash ended in a draw and whether Iron Mike can go one better against Paul on Friday night remains to be seen.