BARRETT: Tyson’s back. Good or bad?

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Last Updated, Mar 15, 2024, 5:33 PM

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Coming from a massive boxing fan like myself, I know the current state of the sport is… fine.

Nothing like the 1980s, but not as bad as most people say. I thought 2023 (Garcia-Davis, Crawford-Spence, Canelo-Charlo, among others) was the best year of boxing in decades.

And just when you thought that real fighters were starting to make headlines again – as opposed to silly YouTube or celebrity fights – here comes another situation.

Mike Tyson is fighting YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, live on Netflix this summer.

Yes, every word of that statement is true. We’re not living in an alternate reality.

And, of course, keyboard warriors took to their iPhones to shame the event. Why would Jake fight a 58-year-old man? Is Tyson doing it for the check? How has boxing become so laughable?

Those were the questions flooding my social media feeds.

But I’m here to say this: Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is good for boxing.

For a plethora of reasons – seven, actually.

Let’s start with the fact that Jake Paul – a 9-1 boxer in his own right – is going to get millions of eyeballs on him. This will help launch his career, even if you hate the event – and him.

Secondly, I’m sure the promoters will stack the undercards with promising, young boxers. That way, they’re marketing the future – for free.

Third, it’s not like there aren’t quote-on-quote ‘real’ fights this year. I’m counting down the days for all of the following:

April 20 – Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney

May 4 – Canelo Álvarez vs. Jaime Munguia

May 6 – Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Nery

May 11 – Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. George Kambosos

May 18 – Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

June 1 – Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol

For the fans who enjoy real, professional boxing featuring fighters in their primes, there you go. Those are six amazing matchups.

Number four. No matter what happens, there’s another story to tell.

Imagine if Tyson wins? Better yet, imagine if Tyson knocks out Jake? This could be like the sixth “Rocky” movie – the one in which Balboa takes part in an exhibition and steals the night from heavyweight champion Mason Dixon.

Five. Boxing always needs a villain. Now that Floyd Mayweather isn’t racking up pay-per-views from those rooting against him, this could be Jake’s turn.

Love him or hate him, the kid can box. He’s got a vicious right hook – that Tyson definitely needs to watch out for – and if he knocks out Mike, you can bet that everybody will want to see the kid lose until the end of time.

Six. It’s live on Netflix. Is this the start of a new era? It’s another platform for boxing to be featured on, and thousands of non-sports people will say to themselves, ‘Eh, it’s on Netflix. I might as well watch the fight.’

Last, but certainly not least, this is Tyson’s chance to be the good guy.

It’s no secret that he’s a divisive figure – in and out of the ring. You either love Tyson, or can’t stand him.

But this is a chance for him to put on one more show for the fans. Trust me, if Tyson ends his already-legendary career with a knockout of a strong fighter in his prime, he cements his legacy for good.

You know it. I know it. We’ll both be watching on July 20.

Joey Barrett is the Daily Item’s sports editor. He reports on local high schools, colleges, and professional teams. Prior to his current position, he worked for UMass Athletics, the Cape Cod Baseball League, and Gannett Media, among others. Barrett was also sports editor at Endicott College and treasurer of Endicott’s Society of Professional Journalists branch.

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