In our exclusive interview, the Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year discusses the decision to make Tyson v Paul a professional bout, and gives his thoughts on Fury v Usyk.
What are your thoughts on Mike Tyson v Jake Paul?
I don’t know how anyone could sanction that as a proper professional boxing contest. I love Mike Tyson and he was a phenomenal in his prime but to be giving somebody a license at 58 is concerning.
It’s concerning where boxing is going at the moment. Jake Paul is a YouTube sensation and I just think the Texas Commission need looking at themselves for allowing it to happen. We could all accept an exhibition, it’s been going on for years with people like Muhammad Ali, and Floyd Mayweather has gone around the world doing exhibitions. But to have it as a professional contest, and for Mike Tyson’s career to have it on his record if he loses to Jake Paul at the age of 58, you have to look at yourself there.
How dangerous is this fight for Mike Tyson?
When Ricky Hatton had an exhibition with Marco Antonio Barrera, everyone understood what it was about. When it comes to Jake Paul v Mike Tyson, they’ve commissioned it as a fight but with different conditions, like eight two-minute rounds and 14oz gloves. You’re commissioning it as a fight with different rules, so it’s a bit of mix and match. It should be on a Misfits card because it doesn’t fit into the boxing world.
Of course, Jake Paul could win, he’s a young man and has been active but with Mike Tyson, one thing you never lose is your punch. It’s over two-minute rounds but it’s going to be a hard watch.
How do we stop fights like this?
I’m sure that type of fight wouldn’t be sanctioned by the British Board of Control, but it has been over in Texas where the fight is, there’s a crowd and it’s going on TV. I’m sure there will be fees paid to the commission from the bout so, like in life, money talks.
Thoughts on Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk?
I could see it two ways. It could be a Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield type of fight, with Tyson Fury as Riddick Bowe letting the shots go and Holyfield being Oleksandr Usyk, or it could be a snoozefest, a lot of hugging, holding and not much punch output. It remains to be seen. I have to go with Tyson Fury as the favourite as when his back has been on the wall and people have written him off, he’s produced. Whether it’sagainst Wladimir Klitschko in Germany or Deontay Wilder in the USA, he performs on the big stage. There are some fights where he knows he’s supposed to win, and he hasn’t really performed.
On the other hand, you’ve got Oleksandr Usyk who has done everything that has been asked of him. He’s won world titles in other people’s back gardens and is exceptional. Is there anything else Usyk can do that we haven’t seen yet? Is this one step too far for Usyk? There’s the old adage of “a good big ‘un beats a good little ‘un”. I think this is a chance for Tyson Fury to show everyone his boxing capabilities, skill set and his mindset. I feel that some people don’t give Tyson Fury the credit he deserves.
In this country his career is running side by side with Anthony Joshua so no matter what Tyson seems to do, he’s run down by people who are ‘Team AJ’.
What’s next for Natasha Jonas?
She’s got nothing lined up, so it’s looking like September time, which she’s gutted about because she did tell Boxxer she wanted to fight in June. They told her she was fighting on the undercard of Richard Riakporhe and Chris Billam-Smith, but they’ve now told her she won’t be. There were plans for the Mikaela Mayer rematch, they thought the Riakporhe-Billam-Smith fight was going to be a PPV event but now it’s not.
I did say at the beginning of the year when we won in the ring, we said to Ben (Shalom) get Natasha Katie Taylor or Jessica McCaskill. We haven’t got neither and we did say we wanted to fight at the beginning of June before her birthday and fight three times this year, in January, June and then September or October time and then she would be done for the year.
Lauren Price has called Jonas out, what’s your thoughts on the fight?
That’s not happening. They’re palming Natasha off. Lauren Price isn’t from this era, Lauren Price’s rivalry and big fights are Sandy Ryan, Caroline Dubois and Rhiannon Dixon, that’s her era. Natasha Jonas’ era is Katie Taylor, Cecilia Braekhus and Terri Harper. Katie Taylor is fighting Amanda Serrano, hopefully she comes through that, hopefully we can try and start talks to get the Katie Taylor and Jonas fight done by the end of the year.
The two of them history from the Olympics in 2012 and then they had the fight in lockdown and one point separated them. Natasha Jonas’ profile in the UK and America especially after beating Mikaela Mayer is sky-high. So, if Katie beats Serrano, I think it would be a great fight for the two of them to have whether that’s over here or in Ireland. She’s disappointed she won’t be getting a fight in the summer.
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