Mike Tyson injury in Jake Paul fight may see call 'for boxing to be banned'

Mike Tyson will face Jake Paul in a boxing match in November, but concerns remain over the former heavyweight champion's health ahead of the bout, with one expert fearing the worst

Jake Paul has received a stark warning from former boxer Paulie Malignaggi that there could be significant backlash with calls to ban boxing if he inflicts harm on Mike Tyson in their upcoming bout.

Scheduled for Arlington, Texas on 15 November, the fight is attracting considerable attention following the cancellation of their original match due to Tyson's medical emergency. While concerns persist regarding Tyson's healthhighlighted by his own admission that training makes it "hard to walk" and the looming mandatory medical examinationMalignaggi cautions Paul about the potential consequences of causing damage to the 58 year old former heavyweight champion during their face-off.

Malignaggi commented on the risks associated with the age disparity and the condition of an older athlete: "Head blows from young, strong guys at Mike's age aren't good. When you're younger, you can handle hits better."

He continued with concern: "When you're older, your body isn't made for that kind of damage anymore. Things could go badly wrong. If something like that happened, people would be calling for the sport to be banned. Personally, I don't think his fight with Jake Paul should happen. He'll be 58 years old by then. Fifty-eight is still 58. We live in a generation that doesn't understand ageing is a real thing. You can show highlights of Mike from the '80s, but the guy stepping into the ring won't be that same Mike Tyson."

Malignaggi, the American boxer, has expressed serious concerns about the potential harm that Paul could inflict on Tyson due to his age. In a conversation with Canada Casino, he stated: "Jake Paul might not be world-class, but he's certainly not a novice. He's been boxing for about five years.

"After four years of boxing, I won the US National Championships, so Jake's far from a beginner. He's strong and young. Hitting someone Tyson's age has serious risks. Tyson wasn't taking punches well at 36, let alone now.

"If you hit a guy who's that old, it affects them. Imagine what getting hit by a strong guy like Jake would do to him. I wouldn't want to find out."

However, Malignaggi is not alone in his worries about the upcoming fight. UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock also voiced his concerns, suggesting that fans could effectively be left mourning a boxing icon if Paul were to win.

"Here's what I say because like I said, I think what Jake Paul and them guys are doing is brilliant, I really do," Shamrock said. "I think them never fighting a contender but making more money than any world championship fight is brilliant. I mean it's brilliant but this one's not good. Because Jake Paul can't win.

"[If Paul] wins, there's a huge bad taste in the world of boxing. It's a disappointment to an organisation that has loved Mike Tyson. It is like the death of somebody and it should be victorious for Jake Paul and I think on that small group of people that are following, yes, but, in that whole atmosphere of boxing, it's gonna feel like somebody died."