Lennox Lewis admits it will be hard for Mike Tyson to step back between the ropes at his advanced age.
‘Iron Mike’ is set to return the ring on November 15 against a man 31 years his junior in Jake Paul.
Paul is in his physical prime at 27 and has been actively competing in the sport for the past five years while 58-year-old Tyson hasn’t fought since 2020.
That night, he went the distance with fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout – although his upcoming clash with Paul has been sanctioned as a professional heavyweight contest.
Tyson hasn’t boxed in the paid ranks since retiring on his stool against Kevin McBride 19 years ago and looked like a shadow of his former self during his final bow.
Given the chips that are stacked against the boxing legend, most feel Paul is a surefire winner.
However, Lewis, who knocked out Tyson in 2002, believes his old foe has enough left in the tank to beat Paul despite acknowledging how taxing the bout will be on his body.
“It’s hard to box when you’re that old, moving around the ring, throwing punches, getting punches thrown at you, but I think he can handle it,” Lewis told Sky Sports.
“I was thinking that Jake Paul was going to be in trouble because Mike Tyson knows how to throw great body punches, great head shots.
“We just have to see if he’s going to do them in the ring – I’m hoping that he’ll do that.
“[I expect to see] Mike Tyson just kind of cutting off the ring and throwing body and head blows when he can catch up to Jake Paul.
“I’m sure Jake Paul will be moving fast, moving around the ring.
“He’s not going to want to stand there and get hit by Mike Tyson!
“I’ll be there and it’s going to be exciting.”
Lewis’ assessment of how both men will approach the contest appears to be the right one.
Throughout the build-up, Tyson has stated his intention to ‘walk straight through Paul’.
Meanwhile, ‘The Problem Child’ is aiming for a more measured approach.
“[The gameplan is] to just box on the outside and then use my footwork to be more agile and get him chasing me — and then attack him when he’s out of position. That should frustrate him,” Paul told the Hollywood Reporter.
