Mike Tyson wants to become champion in a YouTube boxing tournament he plans to launch in the future.
The boxing legend has not fought in the ring since a hugely successful exhibition meeting with fellow veteran Roy Jones Jr two years ago. Tyson has continued to stay in shape and has frequently expressed his interest in the fast-emerging YouTube boxing scene including high-profile siblings Logan and Jake Paul.
Tyson has now claimed he would be willing to fight against a series of YouTubers in a championship format to determine the king of the content creator scene. "There is a possibility I might try and become the YouTube champion," Tyson replied when asked about fighting other YouTube stars on the Jimmy Kimmel show. "I am going to create a YouTube championship with all these YouTubers and perhaps myself and we will all fight each other."
The emergence of high-profile YouTube creators with big followings fighting in the sport first began in the UK when KSI and Joe Weller first did battle in a white-collar outing. It was later escalated when KSI and Logan Paul fought each other in a two-part rivalry which captured the imagination of new audiences.
It has since been escalated to a new level with lots of celebrities and social media stars taking to the ring professionally including Logan's brother Jake who has fought five times as a professional including on Tyson's undercard. The legendary heavyweight previously suggested he wants to launch the tournament in a bid to convince people of the "changing of the guard" in boxing.
"No, no, this is what gets guys of age upset, because the changing of the guard is hard to understand, they don't want to understand," Tyson explained on his HotBoxin' podcast. "That's just what it is, it's the changing of the guard, and these TikTok guys are part of it. You understand me, right? They're a part of it.
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"Just imagine this, ten years from now; I want to have all the YouTube boxers have a tournament and find out who will be the champion of the world, of that world. But that's what they do, they have another belt, it'll be whatever belt they want it to be, and then they put that up against the boxing belt. It's all hype, hype sells fights, fights don't sell fights, hype sells fights."
Reports indicated that Tyson had verbally agreed to fight Paul in another high-profile event shortly after Floyd Mayweather shared the ring with his brother Logan. He moved to deny the claim but has since admitted a bout worth around $300 million could be on the cards.
"Anything is possible but it has got to happen this year," Tyson responded when asked about a clash with the YouTube star on the Jimmy Kimmel show. "That could be very interesting. He is skilled enough and I will give it to him because he is winning."
