Jake Paul is gearing up for the biggest showdown of his professional boxing career against former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
The pair will lock horns at the AT&T Stadium, Texas, this Friday, headlining streaming juggernaut Netflix’s first ever live boxing show.
And while the main-event may not satisfy die-hard fight fans, they can nonetheless look forward to an undisputed clash between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano on the undercard.
But still, it could be said that Jake Paul, a novice fighter with just 11 professional bouts under his belt, may never earn the boxing community’s respect.
- Read More [Drug testing expert claims there’s a ‘lack of transparency’ ahead of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson]
Jake Paul claims he’s the world’s ‘fastest learning and growing boxer’
Since making his professional boxing debut back in 2020, the majority of Paul’s victories have arrived against former MMA fighters and, well, no one who could truly be described as an elite pugilist.
Nevertheless, the YouTube star has become one of the most recognizable figures in the sport, insisting that he will, one day, become a world champion.
Needless to say, the 27-year-old remains a far cry from his overall goal, but has still shown genuine signs of improvement albeit at a much lower level.
Following his back-to-back knockouts over former UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva, Paul entered his first acid test against Tommy Fury last year.
Sure enough, the brother of Tyson Fury was able to fiddle his way through eight uninspiring rounds before claiming a highly contentious split decision over his more limited opponent.
And yet, despite suffering his first defeat to Fury – an unproven operator at best – Paul remains convinced that he has progressed more than any other professional boxer on the planet.
“It’s been four years in professional boxing,” Paul said during his face to face with Tyson. “And in terms of what I’ve done in those four years, and the amount I’ve learned… [it’s] more than any pro boxer.
“I’m the fastest learning and growing boxer in the sport. If you calculate how good I’ve got from year one to year four – no one else has made that progress.”
Netflix pulls out all the stops for Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson
As expected, the promotion behind Paul’s upcoming assignment against Mike Tyson has been immense, with inflatable versions of the two combatants even parading the streets of New York.
Not only that, but Netflix has produced a compelling countdown series ahead of their dustup, revealing several snippets of each fighter’s training camp.
In one of the episodes, Paul discussed the devastating consequences of his defeat to Fury, admitting that his training team abandoned him shortly after the loss.
But now, with a new set of coaches in his corner, the American is confident that he has what it takes to force his 58-year-old opponent back into retirement.