British boxing star who fought Mike Tyson sounds alarm over Jake Paul fight 'circus'
As one of the few men who faced Mike Tyson in his prime, British heavyweight Julius Francis knows all too well the sheer force "the baddest man on the planet" once brought to the ring.
by Christopher Bucktin · The MirrorAs one of the few men who faced Mike Tyson in his prime, British heavyweight Julius Francis knows all too well the sheer force "the baddest man on the planet" once brought to the ring.
But with Iron Mike set to step back between the ropes in the early hours of Saturday at the AT&T Stadium – home to NFL’s Dallas Cowboys - the former British and Commonwealth champion is sounding the alarm over the potential dangers. Despite his 58 years, watching Tyson train for his fight against cocksure YouTuber Jake Paul, his legendary skill and conditioning remain.
However, Julius, who lost to the American icon in January 2000, fears that his former opponent's body may no longer be able to withstand the punishment that comes with a man 31 years his junior.
"It's dangerous," Julius says. "We all know what Mike Tyson was and used to be. I'm seeing videos of him looking very fit, strong and sharp. He looks in good nick for a 58-year-old, but we've got to remember, he's 58. He’s gonna be getting into the ring with somebody who's more than 30 years younger. Time catches up with all of us."
The sell-out Netflix fight is set to pit the former heavyweight champion's wealth of experience and past dominance in the ring against the energy and power of trash-talking Paul. Julius, who fought four former or future world champions, explained that age and experience only sometimes guarantee success in the ring, less so as fighters grow older.
"We have to remember that as a man, you get your man's strength coming into your thirties," the 59-year-old says. "As you're approaching your thirties, especially as a heavyweight boxer, that lasts for a good ten, 12, 15 years. Beyond that, it decreases as the years pass by. Time waits for no man. Not even Mike."
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Tyson's prime was in his twenties when he was virtually untouchable. Now decades on, although he has kept his skills and appears still sharp, Julius stresses that the physical toll of years in the ring cannot be overlooked. "What he's done is got himself in great condition, but it's not what your body can get into. It's what it's left behind," he adds. "As you get older, your body becomes less resistant to punishment.
The more punishment you take, the more your body absorbs and processes it differently. "When you're in your twenties and up to your thirties, you can absorb those kind of punches. "But as you get into your later years, it's not the same. Your body starts to absorb things differently."
Julius, whose most famous punch came two years ago when a video of him flooring a rowdy reveller went viral, explains that this change in physical response means that Tyson could struggle with the intensity of the fight, especially against an opponent as young and strong as Paul.
Despite his impressive training regimen, the former champion's body is not as resilient as it once was. "You can go into the gym and do a bit of sparring, but the next day, you're going to feel the aches and pains," Julius, who retired from the ring in 2006, adds. The Londoner's concerns extend beyond Tyson's physical readiness for the fight.
He also questions whether his former foe's decision to face Paul, 27, is motivated by financial gain at the cost of his hard-earned legacy.
Julius, whose boots for his loss against Tyson were sponsored by the Mirror, adds: "I wouldn't say Mike doesn't need the money but he's not broke like the rest of us. He has money, he has businesses, and he's got wealth. But the $20million, $30million is nothing compared to what he's already accomplished. And to have someone like Jake Paul, a YouTube guy, come in and potentially take away your legacy... It just doesn't sit well with me."
Over his boxing career, Tyson, the bookies' underdog going into the fight, is estimated to have earned more than $300million (£234million), though he ultimately lost it all. Business magazine Forbes suggests his total career earnings might have even reached $685million (£535million).
But like many sports stars, the boxer spent his fortune as fast as he earned it, splurging on massive mansions, luxury cars, hangers-on and even pet tigers. Despite his financial wipeouts, Tyson has staged an impressive comeback. His net worth is estimated at around £8million.
For Julius, the fight represents a sad commentary on the current state of boxing, where spectacle often takes precedence over the sport's deep-rooted tradition of skill and pride. He reminisces about the golden era of boxing when fighters like Henry Cooper were revered as true sportsmen and champions.
He says to see a figure like Tyson risk his legacy in a fight against a YouTuber is disheartening. "It's kind of taken away the pride of boxing," says Julius. "When I was young and first came into boxing, I didn't know much about the sport. But as I grew, I learned what fighters go through and what they sacrifice to get to the top.
"To see someone like Jake Paul, who built his fame and fortune on YouTube, stepping into the ring with Mike Tyson, who has been through so much to get where he is, is just hard to accept." Julius fears that a loss could irrevocably damage Tyson's standing in the boxing world. "Can you actually see Mike letting this kid punch on him, beat him up, and then having Jake Paul's hand raised at the end?" he asks. "It really doesn't sit well with me."
He adds that in Tyson's prime, the fighter's strength and prowess would have been overwhelming for most opponents, but with the passage of time, the ability to take punishment is compromised. "I'd like to say Mike Tyson would and should win because of his natural skills," says Julius. "From what I've seen, the way he punches the pads and moves, he still looks dangerous.
"He's a natural fighter and a killer in his day. Those skills can come out for a couple of rounds. I'm not gonna say that I could get in the ring and box any kind of 25-year-old. But I know that I could hold up my hands for a couple of rounds."
However, Julius acknowledges that Tyson's age will eventually catch up with him. While he may still be dangerous in the ring for a short period, the fight could impose a heavy price on his body in difficult-to-predict ways.
"Jake Paul has grown big and strong. He's been training hard, and that could take a toll on Mike," he explains. "But Mike has the skills to do it. It's all about whether he can last for more than a couple of rounds."
Despite the risks, Julius recognises the broader impact of YouTube stars like Paul on boxing, for better or worse. While some may consider the clash between Tyson and Paul a gimmick, he acknowledges that it has brought a new audience to the sport - particularly the younger generation who follow YouTube personalities rather than traditional fighters.
"It's a circus, which I think is quite sad, but on the other side, you've got the new fans of boxing, the YouTuber fans," he says. "They don't look at these guys as the legends they are - they just see them as celebrity figures. "This YouTube boxing can has been opened and will never be closed. It has brought a whole new, different fan to boxing." Despite his reservations about Paul's boxing, Julius is clear there is at least one positive.
"On the other side of it, where guys that were having arguments and fights and killing each other on the streets are now saying, 'all right then if you wanna settle isn't, let's get into a boxing ring'. Put the gloves on, and we'll have it out that way. And after I beat you, you can't say anything.
"A lot of these guys, YouTuber type guys, have been having their beef on social media, cursing each other out and even some of these criminal gangsters. And then they go 'Right on, let's put some gloves on'. If guns and knives are not being used, and we have Jake Paul to thank for it, then that is positive. "
Ultimately, Julius, who now coaches boxing and has been working as a security guard, hopes that Tyson's legacy as one of the greatest boxers of all time is not overshadowed if he does lose to someone with little experience in the ring.
"My overriding hope is that Mike comes out of the fight safe and unscathed," he says. "I'll be backing him, not only for Mike but for the sport of boxing as well. We don't want boxing to become a joke. We don't want it to become a circus. I hope the natural boxer, the real boxer, comes out on top. I suppose it'll be a shout for the old men of the world, you know, us coming up or the over fifties."
Julius's concerns are clear: while the spectacle of YouTube boxing may draw in new fans, it also risks tarnishing the sport's hard-earned reputation and legacy. As Tyson steps into the ring with Paul, the hopes of many in the boxing world rest on the hope that Tyson's legendary skill and pride will prevail despite the toll of time.