Jake Paul, Mike Tyson take their fight to social media ahead of Netflix bout

With four months to go before the highly-anticipated bout between YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, the jawing between the fighters has officially started to ramp up.

The fight may be on, but the gloves are off evidently. Paul is already calling himself the "greatest heavyweight boxer on the planet" after just ten fights.

It has been 19 years since Tyson strapped up the gloves and fought in an official match. Back then, Paul was just eight years old. His YouTube career was still nearly a decade away from starting. Still, the legend is primed for a return, inching ever closer.

Unfortunately for fans hoping Tyson will knock the snot out of "The Problem Child", many aren't giving the former champ much of a chance because of his age, 57. While that certainly isn't a prime age to be fighting, Tyson has shown serious ferocity through videos on his social media that have dropped many viewers' jaws to the floor.

While the fighters are relatively silent, there has been plenty of dialogue and videos to share across social media.

Mike Tyson Training Videos

That's Tyson training with legendary coach Rafael Cordeiro. He is world-renowned in the world of MMA and boxing. Tyson is absolutely smashing those mitts on him. Given the advancements in medical recovery technology since Tyson retired, there's reason to believe Tyson still has some juice left in the tank.

Even former MMA fighter and podcast host Joe Rogan said during one of his shows "At 55, [Mike Tyson's] power is the last thing to go, but the speed is still there," while watching one of Tyson's training videos. There are certainly some people who believe Tyson is still an absolute force that should not be reckoned with.

Are Tyson's videos fake?

Just over a week ago, renowned British boxer Campbell Hatton, son of legend Ricky Hatton, suggested that the videos above were meant to create a false narrative about Tyson's ability to fight at his age. Hatton even went as far as to allege that most of the footage is dated, perhaps even before Tyson's exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.

"People get carried away because Tyson looks an absolute monster on the pads and in training," said Hatton during a recent interview. Hatton pointed to the undeniable fact that Tyson had already lost a step or two when he retired nearly two decades ago, and at 57, it's hard to imagine him standing much of a chance against someone in their prime. Hatton went on to say that the videos are not good press for Tyson: "If Jake Paul goes in there and knocks him out because of punch resistance and age, you don't want [spectators] thinking Paul has got the better of him."

Hatton never offers any evidence that the videos are older than Tyson and his team are letting on.

Jake Paul's training videos

People have had fun mocking Paul's training videos compared to the ferocity in Tyson's videos above.

Still, there's a reason Jake Paul is 9-1 as a boxer. His only loss against Tommy Fury went to split-decision, and Fury is well-regarded as a legitimate undefeated boxer. Paul definitely has some skill despite what some people want to say and what the training footage above might suggest.

When is the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul?

The fight is scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024, and will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, TX. Anyone interested in the fight can stream it on Netflix.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jake Paul, Mike Tyson take the fight to social media