One of the best fighters of all time, Roy Jones Jr, said Monday that he’d happily step in and replace the injured Mike Tyson to save the Jake Paul bout on Netflix. Tyson recently withdrew from the boxing contest citing health concerns. Though organizers say the July 20 bout has been postponed, it is unclear if or when it will be rearranged. But Jones has an idea for Paul — fight him instead.
Jones has history with Tyson as he took part in a boxing exhibition with ‘Iron Mike’ in the COVID-era of sports in 2020. As it was not a sanctioned match, and did not count on either fighter’s pro record, both left the ring after an eight-round draw and posed for photos backstage with honorary WBC belts.
At 55 years old, Jones is only two years younger and still 28 years older than the internet sensation Paul, but has competed as a pro far more recently than Tyson as his last fight was in 2023 — a loss by decision to the MMA fighter Anthony Pettis, that took his record to 66 wins (47 knockouts) against 10 losses.
A fight against Paul is something he’d “get … in shape for,” he said on Betway, adding: “With the situation of the [Tyson vs Paul] fight, I think that’s a great idea. And I’ll be ready and in shape, because if the fight doesn’t happen, then I’m the ideal guy to substitute in place of Mike Tyson to fight Jake Paul. It is something I have been thinking about.”
“If the [Jake Paul] fight is out there, then yes [I would take it].”
With his athletic style, in which he’d keep his hands low and rely on his reflexes to evade shots and set up his own power punches, Jones is an awkward fighter who is hard to prepare for. Regardless, he said a bout with Paul wasn’t something he’d think about too much from a strategic point-of-view, as he’d adjust on the fly and “figure it out in the ring.”
But if he were to replace Tyson, organizers would have to act fast, as Jones implied he has had interest from other parties in returning to the ring.
“The other day somebody asked me whether I would fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in an exhibition, and that’s crazy. I would jump on it, but now that this thing has come up, it makes sense to get into shape [to fight] Jake Paul.”
“It would be one of the biggest fights of this decade.”
Tyson recently had a health scare during a flight and is taking the necessary time to rest and recover after receiving advice from a doctor, according to a recent statement from Most Valuable Promotions — the event’s promoter, and representative for Tyson’s opponent Paul.
“Due to my ulcer flareup, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover,” Tyson said last week.
Tyson’s health issue will do little to quell criticism that the age gap between him and Paul (30 years) was too large for them to safely box in an official, sanctioned fight. Now it is unclear if Tyson will ever be able to fight again.
