Mike Tyson and Jake Paul to make more money in one fight than legend made in 70

Legendary boxer Larry Holmes has sensationally claimed both Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are making more money in one fight than he did in 70.

After making his professional debut back in 1973, Holmes went on to establish himself as a real great of the sport and one of the best heavyweights in the history of boxing. Five years after his first bout in the squared-circle, the boxing icon claimed the WBC heavyweight title after defeating Ken Norton via split decision. He went on to defend the title a whopping 20 times before losing to Michael Spinks in 1985.

During his glittering career, Holmes defeated the likes of Marvis Frazier, Leon Spinks, Trevor Berbick, Muhammad Ali and Earnie Shavers before hanging up the gloves in 2002. The 74-year-old recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming showdown between Paul and Tyson.

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Holmes famously fought 'Iron Mike' in 1988. The American opted to take some time away from the sport after back-to-back defeats to Spinks. However, he faced a tough test in Tyson, and it didn't go well. Despite putting up a bit of a fight early on, the 58-year-old went on to knock the heavyweight icon out in the fourth round.

Despite being involved in many high-profile fights during his career, Holmes has admitted that both Paul and Tyson are set to make more in that fight alone than he did throughout the majority of his career. The purse for the showdown next month is believed to be in the region of £30.6million.

In an interview with OLBG, Holmes said: "No, it won't affect Tyson’s legacy if he loses, but if Jake wins all hell is going to break loose. If Jake Paul wins they’re going to have a parade all setup, that’s what’s going to happen. I’m not saying he wins, but if he does, people are going to go crazy. But I don’t care who wins, these guys are making more money in one fight than I did in 70 fights. I’m glad these guys are making money."

While there are a fair few boxing fans who are concerned for Tyson's health leading up to the contest - which is scheduled to take place on November 15 at the AT&T Arena in Arlington, Texas - Holmes has issued a severe warning to Paul.

In the same interview, he said: "I watched a clip of Mike Tyson this morning and all I can say is Jake better be ready if he’s going to fight Mike. Mike will be able to last the two minute rounds. Mike comes to fight when he puts his mind to it, he goes to work on you. And that’s what I've seen today. And if this guy tries to trade punches with Mike, he loses.

"Mike is a puncher. I fought Mike and he hit me and that was the end of it. Earnie Shavers was one of the hardest punchers there’s ever been and Mike is right up there with him at the top. Earnie Shavers was the hardest I've ever faced but when Tyson hits, he tries to kill you. And Mike can take a good punch, I hit him a couple of times and he kept on coming. Jake will hit him, but Mike is going to keep on coming. He better be ready for Mike to keep coming forward with punches."