November 13th 2024.
Mike Tyson is gearing up for his highly anticipated fight against Jake Paul, and there's been a lot of buzz around the former world heavyweight champion's return to the ring. In fact, boxing legend Larry Holmes recently shared his thoughts on Tyson's punching power, claiming that he wasn't the hardest hitter he ever faced during his illustrious career.
Tyson, who is now 58 years old, has been training diligently for his upcoming bout in Dallas on Friday night. This will be his first sanctioned fight in 19 years, since his loss to Kevin McBride in 2005. As for Holmes, he lost to Tyson in 1988 when Iron Mike delivered a devastating right hand to the head that sent him to the ground.
Despite his loss to Tyson, Holmes is backing him to beat the 27-year-old Paul in their upcoming fight, which will be streamed live on Netflix. However, he also believes that Earnie Shavers, whom he faced twice during his career, was the hardest puncher he ever stepped into the ring with.
"I fought Mike and he hit me and that was the end of it," Holmes shared with OLBG. "Earnie Shavers was the hardest I've ever faced, but when Tyson hits, he tries to kill you. Mike knocked the [expletive] out of me, he hit me so hard I went 'wooooo' and he beat me. It was embarrassing."
Holmes went on to describe the intensity of Tyson's punches, recalling how he felt like he should've been locked up for the power he possessed. He also mentioned the haunting memory of Tyson growling like Joe Frazier while coming at him relentlessly. That's the kind of fight Holmes is expecting Tyson to put on against Paul, who will have to survive the onslaught if he wants to come out on top.
"If Jake moves like Larry Holmes did, around in circles, ducking punches, then he might be able to survive," Holmes said. "But if he doesn't move around, duck Mike's punches, he's not going to make it. If he doesn't get Mike's respect early, Mike is going to run over him, believe me. He has to hit Mike hard right off the bat, otherwise it's goodnight, Irene."
But despite his prediction, Holmes also acknowledged that Tyson's legacy won't be affected if he loses to Paul. However, if the YouTuber-turned-boxer pulls off a win, it will definitely cause chaos in the boxing world. But regardless of the outcome, Holmes is just happy to see both fighters making a lot of money, something he didn't experience during his own career.
"I watched a clip of Mike this morning and all I can say is Jake better be ready if he's going to fight Mike," Holmes said. "Mike will be able to last the two-minute rounds. Mike comes to fight when he puts his mind to it, he goes to work on you. And that's what I've seen today. And if this guy tries to trade punches with Mike, he loses."
As someone who has been around Tyson and seen his skills firsthand, Holmes knows that he has the ability to take a punch and keep coming forward. He also mentioned Tyson's strategy of ducking and getting in close to his opponent, where he can unleash a barrage of body shots and head shots.
"In my opinion, if I'm gonna bet my money, I'll bet on Mike Tyson because I know him," Holmes confidently stated. "I see him. I was around him. I know what he's made of."
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