“Buster” Douglas believes Mike Tyson is not at risk fighting younger man in Jake Paul
As Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are finding a new date for their bout, James ”Buster” Douglas – the man who gave Mike Tyson his first loss in the biggest upset in boxing history, is in full support of his former opponent.
Speaking exclusively to Gambling Zone, James “Buster” Douglas, said: “I don’t think Mike fighting is risky because he’s not fighting a legitimate 26-year-old contender, Paul’s a young man, of course, but in the sport of boxing, he’s kind of limited.
“The ability he has does not make him a real threat to Mike. Anything is possible in the ring, but I don’t think this is too big of a risk for Mike.”
Many believe the 30-year age difference could prove dangerous, with “Iron Mike” pushing 60, also losing three of his last four fights by knockout, and not fighting competitively since 19 years ago in 2005.
However, Douglas is still confident that the formidable fighter he defeated in 1990, when he was 37-0 at the time, has still got all the fundamentals he needs to compete, “It’s not like he is derelict or something like that. He’s got an opportunity doing something he feels he can do and he will put up a good showing. He’s not doing something that he’s not done before.
“And the clips I saw of him before, he’s looking pretty good. Better than most of the heavyweights out there today. I think he could hold up for sure. The way they fight now, I’m sure he could handle himself. The talent pool isn’t that great. They are alright, but it’s not like the strong top 10 or top 20 from our day. There are a lot of weak links.”
Then, the 64-year-old from Ohio gave his fight preview and predictions, “Mike is going to be f******g relentless. He has no reason to hesitate. Jake needs to go out immediately – and bang – let him know there’s something to look out for. Otherwise it’s going to be open target season, and Mike’s going to be throwing shots with no worry about what’s coming back.
“Mike has never been worried about what’s coming back at him, why the f*** would he be worried about Jake Paul. And I can see Mike going after Paul’s body, can he withstand a real body attack? I’m visualising that once Mike gets going, he’s going to overwhelm Paul.
“The two-minute rounds will be to Mike’s advantage for sure, those two minutes will pass quickly. You can get your shots off and then recover. I think Mike will bring that intensity in those two-minute rounds like Mike back in the day.
“And the other advantage for Mike is that Paul isn’t a major threat, as far as power coming back at him. You’re fighting a guy like Mike who is coming with thunder and he’s not really looking out for anything coming back. It would be different if Paul was a legitimate heavyweight with skills and ability.
“It’s not going to be good for Jake. I don’t think there will be much of a boxing career left for Paul afterwards. I think once Mike gets rid of him, that’s it for his boxing career.
“The best scenario for Paul is to just last the entire fight, say he went the distance with Mike Tyson. Keep his hands up and duck those haymakers because they’re going to be coming.
“Paul will be intimidated by those haymakers, they’re like rockets. Keep moving Paul, don’t stand in front of him, don’t stand on the train tracks. I look at it like an easy win. It will be the easiest win of his career. At 65 years old it may be tough, but at 58 it will be a piece of cake.”
When asked on his thoughts of the rumours the fight is rigged for YouTuber Paul to win, Douglas did not hesitate to dismiss the idea instantly, “I can’t see Mike doing that, he’s only got one gear. I can’t see him following a script and going through the motions because it takes less than a heartbeat to get Mike in an uproar, so I can’t see him following no script. He’ll be looking for blood like a shark in water.”