Mike Tyson told Jake Paul fight is "risky" by former boxing world champion

Mike Tyson has been warned by former world champion Andre Ward that getting in the ring with Jake Paul is a big risk.

Boxing icon 'Iron Mike' is making a return to the ring on July 20 when he faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul at the 80,000 seat AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Many of the fight rules are still unclear but Paul and Tyson are pushing for it to be sanctioned as a professional bout, a decision that will be made by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.

Tyson's last professional fight took place almost two decades ago as he quit on his stool against journeyman Kevin McBridge. When asked about the fight by Fight Hub TV, Ward said: "I don’t know, man. It’s a spectacle, I’m going to watch it. I see people on both sides like ‘Mike shouldn’t be in there.’ Maybe not.

"If there’s a 58-year-old that I’m not too concerned about, it’s probably Mike Tyson. It is risky...well, Mike’s life is risky, it’s been risky since he been a kid until now. Boxing is risky. How are you going to tell a man that’s hardwired the way he’s Mike Tyson... you can’t tell him he ain’t got a shot in that fight.

"I don’t really know where I stand on it. I’m going to watch it. For Jake Paul, it’s like Jake and his team are being strategic, picking the right names and he keeps picking bigger and bigger names so it’s going to be interesting.” Tyson is Paul's oldest opponent to date as there will be over a 30-year age difference between them on fight night.

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Tyson is often referred to as the 'baddest man on the planet' and is regarded of the most devastating knockout punchers in boxing history. Paul has boldly challenged 'Iron Mike' to try and become the first person to drop him in a fight having not been knocked down in 10 professional bouts.

“I want to see how hard he hits. Let’s see all the legends, the myths, because you’re Iron Mike Tyson, but I have an iron chin, people know that. I take shots. I think people are underestimating me being able to deal with his power, and that’s something that’s going to make it interesting," Paul said on his BS podcast.