- Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set to fight each other on Netflix on Friday night
- The two men have had very different journeys to get to this stage in their careers
- Ahead of the bout, Paul’s trainer revealed how his camp will approach the bout
Jake Paul‘s trainer has revealed how his camp will approach the fight against Mike Tyson on Friday night.
In the world of crossover boxing, this fight is one that tops the new era of celebrity fighting and will be an officially sanctioned contest after Tyson demanded it not to be an exhibition bout.
Now, the two fighters – separated by 31 years – are preparing to step into the ring in front of thousands at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium while millions stream on Netflix around the world with ring walks expected at 1am UK time.
One man that has been through the journey with Paul is strength and conditioning coach Larry Wade – who spoke with Mail Sport ahead of the bout.
The trainer opened up about their preparations for the showdown, Tyson’s legacy, and Paul’s unorthodox entry into the sport.
Given Tyson’s return to the ring for several exhibition bouts in recent years, including a draw with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, many have questioned whether the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ still has what it takes to hang with the younger, faster, and more agile Paul.
‘We’re expecting him to bring back his vintage Mike. We want him to be the most ruthless version of himself. We want him to do the things that make him aggressive, chase people down, hit them with big punches,’ Wade explained.
‘That’s what we’re expecting. You cannot prepare your fighter thinking anything other than that. So we’re expecting that we’ll prepare for that. We aren’t planning to run away from Mike. We will bring the fight to Mike. We don’t plan to run. I know Mike thinks that, but we’re not running’.
When asked about Paul’s approach to boxing and whether he would eventually pursue the traditional route, his trainer was adamant that the ‘old-school’ way of doing things would never suit Jake.
‘I don’t think he could ever do traditional route, that’s the problem with the sport,’ the trainer explained. ‘The traditional way is what’s killing it.’
According to Wade, boxing is no longer just about punches and strategy—it’s about entertainment. ‘You have to be able to not only be a professional athlete, but you also have to be a professional entertainer,’ he said. ‘You have to get people to want to watch it.
‘Otherwise, you only get people who like boxing. You want the person who doesn’t know boxing to want to be interested in the sport based on the entertainment side of it as well.’
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Paul’s rise in boxing is his willingness to take risks—both in the ring and outside of it.
Since transitioning from YouTube to boxing, Paul has taken on huge names including former MMA champion Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva. For many, these matchups raised more than a few eyebrows. But Paul’s trainer believes it’s precisely this boldness that has made him dangerous.
‘I think the biggest threat – if we were to use it as a threat, and I would label it more of a characteristic – is he’s not afraid to take risks,’ the trainer said.
‘That’s what’s made him dangerous, because he’s done things that nobody else wanted him to do, and he’s done things that no one else expected him to do.
‘And when you take those type of risk and challenges, your success level is usually much higher, especially if you end up successful at the end of it.’
