After defeating Mike Tyson, Jake Paul believes he can win championship belt in two years
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul believes he can fight for a championship belt within two years after defeating the heavyweight icon Mike Tyson last Nov. 15.
“I think it could happen in the next 24 months,” AFP quoted Paul as saying.
The 27-year-old said he "truly, truly" believes in his skills, ability, and power.
"And the cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline," Paul added.
Paul faced Tyson, whose comeback to the ring stirred controversy among the boxing community, in an eight-round bout at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Paul won via a lopsided unanimous decision, scoring 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.
The 58-year-old Tyson's last fight before retiring was with Kevin McBride in 2005, or 19 years ago, which ended in a loss.
Before his fight with Paul, Tyson was confident. He referred to his exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in front of no fans during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
But during the match watched by a live crowd of over 70,000 spectators plus an estimated millions more tuning in around the world, Tyson barely landed a punch.
Final statistics showed Tyson connected with just 18 of 97 punches thrown, while Paul threw some 278 punches and landed 78 of them.
Paul used his superior speed and movement to dominate the aging Tyson with ease and had the former undisputed heavyweight champion in trouble after landing a flurry of punches in the third round.
Still, Paul bowed to Tyson in respect seconds before the bell sounded in the final seconds of the eighth round.
"First and foremost, Mike Tyson, it's such an honor. Let's give it up for Mike," Paul said after embracing Tyson following his win. "He's the greatest to ever do it. He's the GOAT, he's a legend. I'm inspired by him and we wouldn't be here today without him."
As for Tyson, he said he's satisfied with his performance despite the one-sided nature of the defeat.
"I came to fight," he said. "I didn't prove nothing to anybody, only to myself... I'm just happy with what I can do."
Tyson also praised Paul, calling him a "very good fighter."
Asked if it was his last fight, Tyson said, "I don't think so."
Paul was reportedly $40 million (P2.34 billion) while Tyson got $20 million (P1.17 billion).
Tyson's return had been criticized as a macabre circus that risked injuring him.
The fight, initially set for July but was postponed, drew concerns in May when Tyson suffered a medical scare during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. He later revealed he had vomited blood caused by an "ulcer flare-up."
But he brushed off concerns about his health, saying critics were mostly jealous that he remains a box-office draw decades after his peak in the '80s when he terrorized the heavyweight division. (with reports from AFP)