Since his exhibition match against fellow great Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, which ended in a tie, Tyson has not competed. In 2005, Tyson retired on his stool following his fifth-round knockout loss to Kevin McBride in their last professional bout. Before making his ring comeback, questions regarding his age have been raised. This weekend, Joshua will address these concerns on The Jonathan Ross Show, saying, “He’s [Mike Tyson] older now.” I hope he emerges unscathed. Jake Paul’s youth is the only reason, in my opinion.”

Tyson Fury, Joshua’s opponent, maintains that these “novelty” fights are beneficial to boxing, and “AJ” concurs, saying, “I personally think it’s really good.” The reason the diehard boxing fans dislike it, in my opinion, is that they feel that person is demeaning our sport by bringing so many people into boxing, which is good for everyone else. Everyone who watches is helpful.”

In 2020, Paul won his first professional boxing match in Miami, defeating fellow social media celebrity AnEsonGib. He moved on to battle competitors from other sports, namely mixed martial arts, and forged a prosperous career doing so. However, he was defeated by Tommy Fury, the first professional boxer he faced, in the previous year.

Six months later, Paul defeated UFC icon Nate Diaz. He then focused on moving up the global rankings by taking on reputable professional boxers. After suffering two first-round knockouts, Paul has decided to face Tyson in a battle that Netflix will webcast, returning his focus to “novelty” bouts.

In addition, Paul has stated that he wants to challenge Canelo Alvarez, the top contender in the pound-for-pound division, in order to win a world championship. The American has also been associated with battles against UFC icon Conor McGregor, who recently said he would consider facing Paul, and social media adversary KSI.