Promoter Ben Shalom believes Mike Tyson is at risk of serious harm when he steps into the ring with Jake Paul.
The pair square off on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a highly controversial professional bout.
Tyson will be 58-years old by the time he steps into the ring and hasn’t fought as a pro since his dismal sixth-round stoppage loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005.
On the flip side, Paul is in his physical prime at 27 and has been actively competing as a professional boxer for the past four years, competing 10 ten times (9-1) in the paid ranks during that timespan.
Concerns have been raised by several members of the boxing fraternity about Tyson’s health as he gears up to fight a man 31 years his junior and Shalom concurs with those worries.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com on Thursday, the BOXXER chief said: “I’m all for entertainment but where it stops for me is when it makes a mockery of the sport.
“When you think about the dedication that fighters put into their professional craft, you don’t want that to then be taken the p*** out of.
“Having a 58-year-old in a professional boxing fight is clearly not professional and that’s where the line has to be drawn for these fights.
“It’s ok for entertainment but for me, it’s a major step too far [making it pro], it is a circus act, you couldn’t get anything more ridiculous.
“When they try to take each other’s heads off there are then a lot of medical risks for an older fighter (Tyson).”
Tyson has already received serious health warnings from doctors about the potentially fatal injuries he could suffer against Paul.
In an article for The Conversation, Senior Lecturer in Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, Stephen Hughes, insisted that as he is an older man and recovering alcoholic, Tyson is at increased risk of suffering a subdural haematoma (brain bleeding).
“In older people, the brain tends to lose volume,” Hughes explained. “This lengthens the bridging veins and makes them more vulnerable to rupture.
“Bleeding from these torn veins causes a collection of blood that presses on the brain. This causes confusion, loss of consciousness, neurological disability and, in some cases, death.”
“Alcoholism is known to accelerate brain shrinkage, and it appears that Tyson has this as a past risk factor.”
According to Hughes, Tyson is also at a higher risk of several heart conditions that could be brought on by overtraining for his return to the ring.
Hughes added: “Middle age sees an increase in the likelihood of cardiac events such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), angina (reduced blood flow to heart muscles), and myocardial infarction (heart attack).
“Keeping fit protects against cardiovascular disease, and Tyson’s exercise regime will benefit him greatly. However, the temptation to overdo it in the gym is always there.
“Extreme exercise can lead to cardiac fibrosis (scarring of the heart muscles), which over time may lead to heart failure or, sometimes, sudden death.
“Coronary atherosclerosis (narrowed heart arteries) is common in middle age, even in seemingly healthy people. However, it can lead to sudden death during exercise.
“Although regular exercise reduces this risk, a cocaine habit elevates it considerably – and Tyson has been known to have used the drug in the past.”
News Summary:
- ‘It is a circus act’ – Mike Tyson warned about ‘medical risk’ involved in fighting Jake Paul
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