Unbeaten rising star Campbell Hatton has admitted he is concerned about Mike Tyson‘s scheduled return to the ring this year to face Jake Paul, and is adamant the fight should not be going ahead.
Tyson and Paul made the shock announcement earlier this month that they will be fighting each other on July 20 in Texas, with the bout due to be shown live on Netflix.
The former two-time heavyweight champion will be 58 by the time of the fight, and is 30 years Paul’s senior.
Paul, who shot to fame through YouTube before turning to boxing, has fought 10 times over the last four years, while Tyson has not been seen in a professional ring since 2005.
Paul has compiled a record of nine wins and one defeat, with six of his victories ending in a knockout to highlight his punching power, despite his lack of experience.
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are set to fight each other in July, despite the latter not having fought in nearly two decades
Tyson is already training hard for the fight with Paul, positing regular videos of his workouts
But Campbell Hatton (pictured) thinks Tyson’s return is ‘worrying’ and doesn’t believe the fight should be happening
Tyson has posted regular videos of his workout routines online to show that he is still in impressive shape as he moves towards his sixties, but Hatton believes his punch resistance will be a problem against Paul after being away from the sport for almost two decades.
‘I think it’s sad to see, it’s not something I’m looking forward to,’ Paul told Mail Sport as he addressed the upcoming fight.
‘I think when people see the videos of Tyson training where he’s smashing the pads and the body belt and things like that, he looks a monster still. But I think people are really underestimating the toll it takes on you, going through training camps and punch resistance for anyone, never mind somebody in their late fifties.
‘There’s no doubt in my mind if it was about going in there and throwing hands, Tyson’s going to blow him away but it’s not as simple as that. When we saw him at the end of his career in the early 2000s and late 90s, his punch resistance seemed gone then. Over 20 years later, it can’t have improved.
‘I think it’s a shame because you’ve got this new audience who have come to boxing through the YouTube fights that probably haven’t watched Tyson. They’re going to get wrong reading, they’re going to watch it and there’s a good chance Jake Paul beats him purely because of age, and I think a lot of those young fans probably aren’t going to realise just how good Tyson was. They might come away thinking that Jake Paul is better and it’s absolutely laughable.
‘I do think it’s bad for boxing so I’m not looking forward to it.’
He continued: ‘If anyone else wanted to get in the ring at 58, it wouldn’t happen. It wouldn’t be allowed, people would put a stop to it.
Six of Paul’s nine wins have come by knockout, and Hatton is concerned about Tyson’s punch resistance as he moves towards his sixties
‘But because of what a fighter he was years ago, people are sort of letting it go and accepting it. It is wrong. Jake Paul, based on boxing ability and all of that, isn’t fit to lace Tyson’s boots, the Tyson that we all know and love.
‘But it doesn’t matter who you’re in there with, he’s laying people out so he’s clearly got the athleticism and power if nothing else. To be hitting someone, he’s nearly 60-years-old, his body is not going to be able to take shots off anyone. Jake Paul has not been a boxer but he can clearly whack a bit. So it is worrying. If it was anyone else, they wouldn’t be letting it go ahead.’
Tyson ruled the heavyweight division on two separate occasions during the 1980s and 90s, but has now passed on the mantle to his namesake, Tyson Fury.
Fury is widely regarded as the best heavyweight on the planet and will get the chance to prove that in an undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk in May.
But Anthony Joshua is hot on the heels of the pair after recording four-straight victories, including a devastating two-round demolition of Francis Ngannou this month.
His emphatic win came just four months after Ngannou floored Fury and pushed him all the way before losing a split decision, casting doubt over the true pecking order in boxing’s blue-riband division.
Hatton believes Joshua is back to his best after teaming up with Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison, and revealed he would favour AJ to beat the Gypsy King based on their recent performances.
Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou inside two rounds earlier this month
Hatton feels Joshua is back to his best after teaming up with Ben Davison (left)
Hatton admits he would favour AJ to beat Tyson Fury right now after the Gypsy King struggled against Ngannou
Hatton believes Ngannou does still have a future in boxing, and would be keen to see him face big-punching American Deontay Wilder
‘I thought AJ looked brilliant. I always said if he was to get his head back right, he’s back because it’s not like he’s aged or he’s lost the power or lost the stamina,’ Hatton said.
‘He’s always had it all, there’s just been something missing. And I think linking up with Ben Davison and his last few fights he seems to have got that confidence back. Everything that he was lacking seems back.
‘I think there’s big jumps in class between Ngannou and Usyk and Fury on paper. It’s easy to get carried away with things, but on last performances AJ is miles in front of where Fury was.
‘We don’t know how much of Fury’s last fight was a blip, but on current form you’ve got to say AJ’s the man. Usyk has beat him twice but that’s not the AJ we’ve been seeing for the last couple of fights so we’ve got to see that next fight. But for me, current form, you’ve got to put AJ above Fury at the minute.
‘For the last few years it’s been no doubt who the No 1 and No 2 are in Fury and Usyk, but we’ll see how Fury performs in there with Usyk in May and then hopefully we can find out who is the top boy by them all fighting each other.’
Joshua looks set to bigger and better things after dispatching Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, and he urged the ex-UFC champion to stick with boxing in the immediate aftermath of their fight.
Hatton would also be happy for Ngannou to stay in the sport, and has put forward another knockout artist for the Cameroonian-born star to potentially face next, but admitted his defeat by Joshua proved he doesn’t have what it takes to make it to the very top.
‘I think there’s fights out there for him. I think a good fight would be the [Deontay] Wilder fight,’ Hatton claimed.
‘I don’t see him winning any major titles, but obviously we saw him put Fury down so he’s got a puncher’s chance. I think that makes the Wilder fight exciting because it’s two similar styles where the boxing ability is limited but they’ve just got monster power.
‘That fight is definitely interesting and is definitely one I’d like to see.’
Exciting times lie ahead for the world’s elite heavyweights over the coming months, but Hatton will make his first outing of 2024 before all that in Sheffield this weekend.
Hatton is still unbeaten and is set to fight for his first title in Sheffield this weekend
He is looking to follow in his dad Ricky’s footsteps, after he also won the Central Area title before going on to become a two-weight world champion
He is set to take on Jimmy Joe Flint for the Central Area super-lightweight title as he aims to win his first belt since since turning professional in 2021.
His father, former two-weight world champion, Ricky, held exactly the same title 25 years ago, and his uncle and trainer Matthew also won the strap during his career.
Hatton is confident of keeping the family legacy going on Saturday night, but is not taking Flint lightly.
‘We’ve been preparing for this fight for a long time, I think it’s probably been on the cards for about six months now,’ he explained.
‘It’s the first title both my dad and Matthew won in their careers. I’d be the third member of the family to pick up the Central Area title all going well, and hopefully it will be the first of many so I just can’t wait.
‘Without a doubt, I’m expecting a tough fight. We’re at the stage now where it’s the perfect time for a fight like this where there’s that bit of jeopardy in there. It’s a big motivator for me where I know I’ve got to be on my game.
‘So far in my career most people I’ve boxed have had winning records but they’ve come and when things have got tough they’ve just looked to survive. I know it’s not going to be the case with Jimmy Joe.
‘He’s going to come to win and want to leave with his belt and I know I’ll have to be at my best on the night to come away with the win. But I’ve got no doubt that I will be.’
