Oleksandr Usyk has been asked for his view on the upcoming fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
Usyk is in camp for the rearranged undisputed fight that he has been chasing for years. He has already achieved that feat at cruiserweight and on May 18 will face Tyson Fury, who owns the WBC belt, which is the only one not currently in the possession of Usyk.
The Ukrainian southpaw won the WBA, WBO and IBF belts of Anthony Joshua with a 12-round points win in 2021, and defended them over another 12 rounds in 2022. Since then he has also beaten Daniel Dubois by knockout.
Speaking to Seconds Out, Usyk gave his view on the fight.
“Listen, listen, it just shows, Tyson is a big, big famous man of the world. Yeah, Jake Paul is young guy who won at boxing who wants to help young guys but it’s a big show. If people want to see the show, OK, give it to them. For me, I think it’s OK.”
Paul will face the former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ on July 20, despite a notable 30-year age gap between them.
Reports suggested both men desired a professional bout, aiming to elevate global interest with the potential impact on their records, however, Tyson recently clarified that the encounter would be an exhibition.
Nonetheless, he also asserted that the fight’s intensity wouldn’t be diminished, insisting it would possess all the aggressive intent of a professional showdown.
