Jake Paul & Mike Tyson face last-minute fight change due to legend’s health

Jake Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson could face an extremely last-minute change due to the timing of the boxing legend’s pre-fight health checks. 

When Jake Paul and Mike Tyson first announced that they would be fighting, there was plenty of skepticism. The biggest issue between the pair is the age difference – a massive 31-year gap – as Tyson is 58 and Paul is 27. 

With Tyson approaching his twilight years, and having not boxed since 2020, many critics have worried about his health. Those worries were only increased when ‘Iron’ Mike suffered an ulcer flare-up during a cross-country flight across the United States. 

That originally scheduled July 20 event was postponed and rearranged for November 15. The heavyweight boxing legend has been in training camp for a few weeks, suggesting he’s in good shape. 

Despite there being belief on both sides, some skepticism remains about the fight. In fact, according to World Boxing News, the results of Tyson’s pre-fight checks won’t be known by the  Texas Department of License and Regulation until November 14 – the day before the fight. 

As per a set of WBN reports, Netflix and other event organizers harbor concerns about Tyson’s health, and he’s set to undergo more rigorous checks than other boxers.

Should he present issues in those checks, the fight would likely be changed to an exhibition instead of professional rules.

There is noted confidence on Jake’s side that everything goes as planned. The ‘Problem Child’ has yet to draft in a backup fighter as he has done for previous clashes. 

Rumors have swirled that, if he did need a backup, former WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. could be an option. The WBA said they are “open” to some sort of title fight between the two. So, that would be an interesting fallback option for the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

He has also suggested rule changes around the length of the clash, including taking it up to a 10-round fight.