Katie Taylor has her worries about Mike Tyson.
While many have criticized the lack of sporting merit in the Nov. 15 meeting between Tyson and Jake Paul, no such condemnation has been levied at the chief support for the night, which sees Taylor put her undisputed super lightweight title on the line in a 138-pound catchweight rematch against Amanda Serrano live on Netflix.
Echoing the thoughts of many given the three-decade age gap between the 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul, Taylor admitted she is apprehensive for the former heavyweight champ ahead of fight night.
“I obviously have me concerns about Mike Tyson, just because he’s a legend and I don’t want to see him get hurt or anything,” Taylor said on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I think Jake Paul is a great athlete and he’s improving as a fighter as well. He’s a young fresh guy and I just have so much respect for Mike Tyson that I’d hate to see Mike losing to someone like that, to be quite honest.”
Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs), 38, is generally regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. She defeated Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) via split decision in their epic first collision in 2022 bout that was widely celebrated as one of the best of the year regardless of gender. Taylor vs. Serrano 1 was also the first women’s boxing fight to ever headline New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden venue.
Taylor first met Tyson back in May during a promotional stop for the first iteration of this event, and the Irish boxing icon couldn’t hide her excitement when she came face to face with the Hall of Famer.
“I think Mike Tyson is everyone’s icon in the sport, isn’t he?” Taylor said.
“Every single person in the world of boxing has watched him fight at some stage. He’s known as the baddest man in the planet and he’s just beloved by the boxing world. Just to get a chance to sit next to him and speak to him, he has such a knowledge of the sport as well. He’s a real historian. I just love the fact that’s he’s so loved in the sport. I never thought in a million years that I’d box on the same card as Mike Tyson, so this is real pinch me moment, to be honest.”
Famously shy outside the ring, the Olympic gold medalist recalled receiving advice from Tyson when it came to taking part in press conferences, an element of the profession that she is not very fond of.
“Before the press conference in Dallas, I was talking to him for maybe about 45 minutes,” Taylor said. “It was amazing, he’s such a gentleman and he’s just a great boxing man. It was just amazing to have a chance to sit down and talk to him. He was so great to me.
“I was just asking him how he felt about the Jake Paul fight, how he’s feeling about his own fight. I was letting him know that I’m not a big fan of press conferences and then he was telling me, ‘That’s where all the money is made’. I was speaking to him about some of his old fights as well, just an amazing moment for me.”
Tyson was a feared heavyweight champion during his heyday in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, known as one of the most ferocious knockout artists the sweet science has ever seen. But he hasn’t competed professionally since a 2005 stoppage loss to Kevin McBride, and his withdrawal from the original July 20 date against Paul due to an ulcer flare-up only invited further criticism of the booking.
Taylor is among those concerned for the former champ. But while she’s firmly in the corner of Tyson ahead of the Nov. 15 bout, she did praise Paul for the impact he’s had on the boxing world.
“Jake Paul is an amazing businessman and it’s amazing what he’s done for the sport,” Taylor said. “He’s one of the biggest names in boxing — nobody would’ve thought that, really.”
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