Longtime Boxing announcer: Jake Paul-Mike Tyson match 'isn't real boxing'

Former HBO Boxing blow-by-blow announcer Jim Lampley is known for calling some of the sport’s most iconic fights. Still, he anticipates that the upcoming Jake Paul-Mike Tyson match will be a far cry from a genuine boxing contest despite its potential to draw a large audience.

During a recent appearance on the Awful Announcing podcast hosted by Brandon Contes, Lampley discussed his feelings on the upcoming match, saying that he would only watch the match due to his close relationship with Tyson.

“My opinion is, for me, and what really matters is what does Mike (Tyson) want to do,” said Lampley when asked whether he believed the match should be held in the first place. “The audience loves him; the audience wants to see him. Jake Paul is a creature of social media. I, to this day, do not participate in social media. Think you can tell that I am basically old-fashioned.

“It’s not an event that appeals to me. And I wouldn’t expect to see anything meaningful for a serious boxing critic or reporter. The only reason I would watch it is in homage and loyalty to my very dear friend Mike Tyson.”

Lampley was then asked whether Jake Paul was “good” for the sport of boxing as a whole. He responded by reaffirming that this was not a real boxing match in his eyes.

“No, because this is not going to be real boxing,” he says. “This is not going to be a fight between two boxers who’ve trained most of their lives within the technique of boxing and who are at or near their physical peak. That’s not what we’re talking about.”

The fight, which is scheduled for November 15th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, has been canceled once before due to Tyson dealing with an ulcer flare-up back in July.

Naturally, there are still lingering concerns about Tyson’s health and whether this fight should have been sanctioned, considering Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and hasn’t competed in a professional boxing match since 2005.

On the flip side, what this match may lack in legitimacy in the eyes of boxing purists, it will likely make up for in terms of attention due to the star power of both Tyson and Paul. The fight will still be happening on Netflix , making it incredibly accessible for many combat sports fans.

Lampley will host PPV.COM’s Viewer Chat, which doesn’t require a subscription, for the Canelo Álvarez-Edgar Berlanga Unified Super Middleweight World Championship fight card on Saturday, September 13, at 8 PM ET.

Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page .

The post Jim Lampley doesn’t think upcoming Jake Paul-Mike Tyson match will be ‘real boxing’ appeared first on Awful Announcing .