Boxing world divided as Mike Tyson, 58 faces Jake Paul on Friday

The Nigerian Air Force wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos has received the remains of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.

At precisely nine in the morning, the body was greeted by Guards Brigade troops who were scheduled to pay their final respects to Lagbaja.

In a fight supported by Netflix that has drawn harsh criticism from the boxing community, 58-year-old Mike Tyson will make his comeback to the ring on Friday, over 40 years after making his professional debut and 19 years after quitting.

In a sanctioned bout at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas, Tyson, who ruled the heavyweight division in the late 1980s, will put on his gloves once again to take on YouTuber Jake Paul, 27.

The eight-round, two-minute fight was originally planned for July but was rescheduled in May after Tyson needed medical attention for a bleeding ulcer that caused him to vomit blood while flying from Miami to Los Angeles.

Many people have criticised Friday's battle as a macabre show that puts Tyson at unnecessary risk. Tyson last competed professionally in 2005, losing to Irish journeyman Kevin McBride via technical knockout after quitting on his stool.

‘It Shouldn’t Be Happening’

"Mike Tyson was already exhausted when he retired from boxing 20 years ago," British promoter Eddie Hearn stated this week.

"Anyone who believes Mike Tyson ought to be fighting at this age is either reckless or completely unconcerned about him. This shouldn't be taking place.

Frank Warren, another promoter who worked with Hearn, agreed.

Warren asserted that Mike Tyson shouldn't be fighting because he is 58 years old. "That's how easy it is."

"You're on the motorway, and everyone's slowing down just to look at a crash — that's what this is," Warren continued, likening the altercation to a roadside collision.

Tyson, who is said to have made about $20 million from the fight, has brushed off worries about his health, saying those who criticise him are driven by jealousy.

"All I can say is that I'm beautiful," he replied earlier this year. "Those who are critical wish they were me." This cannot be done by anyone else.

Tyson said at an open workout in Texas this week that his rigorous training camp had made him more resilient than he had previously thought.

"I wondered, 'What was I thinking?' when I consented to this conflict. However, I finished the procedure. The celebration is the fight. The hard labour is finished.

Focused, Tyson said, "I'm just ready to fight," eschewing pre-bout hype at the news conference in Texas on Wednesday.

Fears of Injury

On Friday, thousands of people in AT&T Stadium and a global audience on Netflix will be watching to see if Tyson's efforts are successful.

Paul first rose to stardom on YouTube before switching to boxing. He was born six months before Tyson famously chewed off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear in their 1997 rematch.

Paul has faced a variety of opponents since his debut fight against a fellow YouTuber in 2018, including MMA fighters, other professional boxers, and a basketball player. He has won 10 of his 11 games (seven via knockout) and lost one.

"I feel sharp, powerful, explosive, and incredibly nice. Paul, wearing a rooster-shaped headpiece, stated after Tuesday's open workout, "It's going to be a short night for Mike."

It's obvious that Paul would have been eliminated in a matter of minutes by a Tyson in his heyday in the 1980s. However, does Tyson still possess any semblance of the strength and ability that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986, at age 20?

Veteran promoter Bob Arum, 92, is blunt.

Last month, Arum told SecondsOut.com, "The answer is no."

"A 58-year-old man can no longer compete at that level, regardless of how skilled or athletic they were."

"I really give Mike almost no chance, but I hope he doesn't get hurt."