Jake Paul has no problem singing the praises of boxing legend Mike Tyson, but when the two step in the ring in July, the internet personality turned boxer said, “I have to end him.”
Paul and Tyson will go at in at AT&T Stadium in Texas on July 20 and Paul was on hand for this weekend’s Formula One Miami Grand Prix when he was asked about the upcoming bout.
“I love Mike. I’m super respectful of him. It’s an honor to be in the ring with him. But I have to end him,” Paul told USA Today on Sunday. “It’s war. All is fair in love and war. I love the guy, but as soon as it turned into a pro fight, one of us has to die.”
Paul first stepped into the ring in 2018 when he fought YouTuber Deji Olatunji and has continued to box since, with Tyson having said in the past that Paul has done “more for boxing than some of the champions did.”
The Tyson-Paul fight will be streamed on Netflix and there is a 20-year age gap between the combatants.
“He’s a legend. I love the guy,” Paul said. “But at the end of the day, it’s war and you just have to go to war and put it all on the line. I still have the utmost respect for him, and I think he’ll say the same about me and what I’ve done for the sport.”
The fight between the two was announced on March 7, and on April 29, it was announced that the fight would be sanctioned as a professional boxing match.
There were also some modifications to the rules made for the fight, including two-minute rounds and 14-ounce gloves that will be used.
Last week, there had been some dispute as to which side suggested the modifications, according to USA Today.