The forecast has been made by the two-time former unified world heavyweight champion.
For the eagerly awaited exhibition fight between YouTuber Jake Paul and former world champion Mike Tyson, Anthony Joshua has offered his prediction.
It was announced last month that Tyson will face Paul. On March 2, Paul defeated Ryan Bourland in the opening round of the Puerto Rico tournament, raising his professional record to 9-1.
On Saturday, July 20, 2024, the event will be televised exclusively on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL team Dallas Cowboys, which has 80,000 seats.
It has been said that collaborating with Netflix to broadcast Paul vs. Tyson to a global audience was a “strategic decision” meant to guarantee that the match will be seen by six generations of sports enthusiasts.
Tyson commented on the event, saying he was “very much looking forward” to stepping into the ring, but many have expressed concern for the 57-year-old, including former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew.
“I am worried about it personally, but listen, you don’t know what’s been agreed between the two,” Bellew told Spin Bet.
“It’s frightening that Mike Tyson is going back into a boxing ring against somebody who is more than 30 years younger than him. It’s just a bit nuts.
“I’m hoping that the fight is a bit of a circus and a bit scripted because I wouldn’t want to see Mike get hurt in any way shape or form.”
So what does Anthony Joshua think about the event? Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, AJ commented on Tyson’s age before making his prediction.
“He [Tyson] is older now,” Joshua said. “I pray that he comes out healthy.”
He added: “I think Jake Paul [wins] because of youth – that’s the only thing… I personally think [influencer boxing] is really good. I think the boxing hardcores, they don’t like it because they think, ‘Why are they disrespecting our sport?’
“But I think that person brings all these people into boxing which benefits everyone else. Everyone viewing helps.”
Tyson Fury, meanwhile, has thrown his support behind Tyson’s much-talked-about return to the sport, and called the upcoming bout against Paul an “even match”.
“I think it’s fantastic for boxing,” he told The Stomping Ground.
“You’ve got a legend in Mike Tyson. You’ve got a YouTube boxer [Jake Paul]. He has come into the game and blew it up and he’s got millions of followers and millions of views and millions of eyes. Good, bad or indifferent. Some people love him, some people hate him.
“So, I think it’s a really good spectacle for boxing. Brings a lot of people to the game.”
Fury added: “Listen, who am I to say, ‘Oh, Mike Tyson shouldn’t be boxing or Jake Paul shouldn’t be boxing’, good luck to ’em. They’re both gonna make what I call a sh*t ton of money out of it. So, isn’t that what it’s about?”
