Eddie Hearn says Jake Paul should feel “embarrassed” for fighting Mike Tyson in an event he describes as “disrespectful to boxing.”
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, who was given his professional debut by Hearn in January 2020, is set to face former undisputed heavyweight champion, Tyson in a professional sanctioned match on November 15 in Texas.
Tyson, who turned 58 in June, has not fought in a professional contest since he was retired in six rounds by Kevin McBride in 2005.
Hearn feels Paul, 27, should feel uneasy for fighting a man 31 years his senior.
“I’m in awe of him [Tyson] – he’s one of my favourite ever fighters, one of the greatest of all time,” Hearn told BBC Sport.
“You only need to speak to him and look at him to know this guy should not be in a ring again.
“If I was Jake Paul I’d just feel a little bit embarrassed to be honest with you. It’s a liberty.
“This is dangerous, irresponsible and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the sport of boxing.”
The fight, which will be contested over eight, two-minute rounds, is expected to attract a sell-out crowd to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington and draw a record audience on Netflix.
The pair were set to meet in July, but ‘Iron Mike’ was forced to withdraw due to an ulcer flare-up and according to the British promoter, this is when the bout should have been disregarded altogether.
“That was the moment they should have realised that this was actually a bad idea,” he added.
“Everybody loves a dollar bill, including me, but sometimes the green-eyed monster can make you [make] some bad decisions and I think this is one of them.”
Hearn is set to be in attendance with his charge Katie Taylor defending her undisputed super lightweight titles against Amanda Serrano in a long-awaited rematch of their April 2022 thriller, which the Irishwoman edged by split decision in New York.
Hearn and Paul worked together in promoting the event and despite his feelings towards the main event, the Matchroom Chairman admits he wasn’t going to stand in the way of the 38-year-old securing a career-high payday, although he insists he will be leaving before Paul vs Tyson starts.
“We received a massive offer for Katie.
“I’m not going to tell her she’s not allowed to fight on that card.
“Financially it’s the biggest purse of her career.
“I won’t be watching the main event. We’ll be there defending the belts, and then I’ll be off.”
Hearn and Paul are currently embroiled in a legal battle, after ‘The Problem Child’ accused Hearn’s Matchroom of bribing judges to secure favourable decisions for their fighters.
The Matchroom Chairman is seeking damages of $100m, with the court date set for October 16.
