Jake Paul: No backup plan if Mike Tyson pulls out
Jake Paul is confident Mike Tyson will make it to their blockbuster boxing match Nov. 15 and says there is no replacement opponent on deck.
"I don't have (a) concern," Paul told TMZ Sports. "(Tyson is) doing great. He's super healthy behind the scenes and feeling great. So that's what we're focused on. There's not a backup currently."
Paul, the YouTuber turned prizefighter, and Tyson, the legendary former heavyweight champion, were originally supposed to square off July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But Tyson suffered a medical scare on a flight and was forced out of the fight. It was rescheduled - for the same location and still on Netflix - just one week later.
However, Paul also stayed on the July 20 card. He agreed to face Bare Knuckle FC star and former UFC welterweight Mike Perry and won via sixth-round TKO.
The fight between Paul and Tyson is sanctioned as a professional boxing match by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees combat sports in the state, despite the fact Paul is 27 and Tyson is 58. Paul said he is taking the fight seriously and will "100%" try to knock Tyson out.
"I do have to be careful in the early rounds, because Mike has that crazy, crazy punching power," Paul said.
He added: "A pro fight means war, and I don't take it lightly. You can get seriously hurt or injured in there. So if you're not in there to go to war, then you should just get out."