Former two-time world champion Amir Khan exclusively spoke to New Zealand Daily and discussed the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
Khan also discussed Anthony Joshua’s future in boxing as well as previewing the upcoming rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
I: What did you make of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson?
AK: Mike Tyson didn’t need to take that fight; it was so sad to see he got beat by a YouTuber who now you have to give respect to because he has boxed really well the last few fights and fought some names like Tommy Fury. But we all know Mike Tyson was done, and it was really tough to see. At the end of the day, I don’t know why he needs to do it because he’s such a big name.
I’m not sure financially whether he needs the money or not. It’s sad to see one of the greatest going in the ring at people who are at the peak of their career and young, strong and hungry. It was like a sparring session, but he was still getting caught and at his age, he doesn’t need to be taking shots like that.
I: Mike Tyson said he will continue fighting, what do you make of it?
AK: That was more of the adrenaline, and it was fight talk. But he needs to stop and hang the gloves up he will end up getting hurt. He’s only getting older and slower; his reaction time is slowing down, and you could see how he was getting caught. It seems like he couldn’t get his shots off either.
I: What did you make of Logan Paul’s comments post-fight?
AK: It annoyed me because you can’t be talking to a champion like that – one of the heavyweight greats. These guys have started to make boxing become a joke and it was a bad day for boxing. People like these YouTubers shouldn’t have the audacity to speak to Mike Tyson like that.
I: What next for Jake Paul?
AK: He keeps talking about wanting to fight a real champion and get into boxing properly. Fight a real fight, a young hungry fighter instead of these YouTubers. He got found out by Tommy Fury but now he needs to up his game to show that he belongs in boxing otherwise he is making a mockery of boxing.
He’s getting big numbers, making money and is enjoying all of the fame behind it with TV deals and sponsorships. Boxers have to up their game because if these YouTubers continue taking over, it’ll only be more motivation for more YouTubers to get into boxing and we can’t let this happen. That’s why I respect the UFC, the best fight the best and they don’t let YouTubers enter because they will be destroyed. In boxing, YouTubers come into it only for paydays.
I: Do you think Mike Tyson’s gloves looked more padded than Jake Paul’s? Tony Bellew claimed they were…
AK: I’m sure there was padding in his gloves because he (Jake Paul) was giving so much weight away, and he was also scared to get hit by a flush shot. The gloves looked padded because you could see the size of them; they were like pillows.
I: Daniel Dubois – how good is he?
AK: I like Daniel, when he fought Filip Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller, he was a beast and that was the time he grew on me, and I thought he would be a world champion. The way he put his punches together, how strong he was, and how physical he was, even against Oleksandr Usyk, caused him a lot of problems, and the body shot (which was classed as a low blow) was a real shot. I think now, if he fought Usyk again, he would give him real problems. He’s a young fighter and will have more confidence now, and just beat a great fighter in Anthony Joshua. Now, whoever he faces, Daniel will be a very dangerous opponent for anyone.
I: How would you see AJ getting on if they ended up rematching later next year?
AK: I think Daniel would win again because he had that win against him last time and he’s going to have everything in his favour this time and he knows he can hurt Anthony Joshua, he can take his best shot and he will be more confident so I think he will destroy AJ again. He shouldn’t take that fight.
I: What should AJ do next?
AK: He should wait for the big fight against Tyson Fury. They’re both such big names and I think he should call it a day after that. AJ has done phenomenal in boxing and has made a lot of money, won a lot of titles, fought around the world, and is a big name but for him, why not finish on a big high by taking the Fury fight and then call it a day? He can then enjoy the rest of his life knowing people have respect for him as a great champion. At the same time, he has not taken that much punishment.
I: Are you and Anthony Joshua close, and have you spoken since his defeat?
AK: We are close but it’s not right for me to speak to him (straight after the fight), I know he is upset, and I’ll see him out and about at one point and I’ll catch up with him then. Other than that, he’s a champion and doesn’t need to be told by people I’m sure he knows himself. He’s an Olympic champion, a former two-time world champion and AJ doesn’t need to be told like me, he knows himself what went wrong and how he needs to improve and change. He’s a born fighter and needs that respect. He’s been a credit to the sport of boxing and he still has one or two big fights left him so why not take one or two more paydays and then call it a day.
I: Why do you think people enjoy criticising Joshua?
AK: They envy what you do and a lot of them are ex-fighters who are in the same stable who are always going to throw hate at you because they don’t know how hard you work. They see all of the big paychecks but don’t see how hard you work to get to that level. Those fighters who make the big paychecks are always going to get hate because people envy them and want to be like them and be in the same position. I bet 90% of the people who used to hate on me would’ve loved to have been in my position in America, filling up arenas and fighting the biggest names in boxing.
I: I’m a Celebrity has returned; what was your experience like?
AK: I went on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here twice, one of those being in South Africa for the all-star version and the one in Australia when I ate all of the strawberries. What a great experience it was. Coleen Rooney and a lot of good people are there for this series
I: Coleen is getting paid a lot of money…
AK: When I went in there, I got paid $1million and that was a lot of money. It was an amazing experience and one of the best I ever had. I never knew what the show was until I went on and I was like ‘wow, I want to do that again’ and I did in South Africa. It’s one of the best shows and it shows who you are.
People got to know the real side of me and I’m a fun character, a very calm and chilled person and I’m just like everyone else. I gained a lot of new fans after the show because people saw the real Amir Khan, they didn’t see no Amir Khan at a press conference or when I had a fight coming up where you’re anxious to get into the ring and go to war. It was a great show for me.
I: Did you think it was going to go viral when you ate the strawberries?
AK: I was very shocked because I thought I was getting strawberries as a present and I got made to be one of the biggest strawberry fans ever. I’m not a big strawberry fan, I eat them of course but the way they made it out, it was as if ‘Amir Khan loves strawberries!’.
I: Did the camp get annoyed at you about it?
AK: They blamed the other person, and I was little silly for letting him take the blame but it was more funny than anything else, and looking back at it now it was a very funny scene that will always be remembered now.
I: How do you see Usyk vs Fury 2 going?
AK: I have Tyson Fury winning this time. He’s the bigger guy so he will use his size, reach and be a lot more smarter going into this fight. It’s not going to be easy because with Usyk having the win and the knockdown in the first fight, I’m sure he’s going to be going in with a lot of confidence because he knows Fury can get hurt.
But I feel Fury will up his game as he always does and when pressure is on him, we will see the best Tyson Fury. I see Fury winning in December.
I: Could you see a heavier Fury on the scales like he was in the Wilder rematch and walk him down?
AK: One thing Tyson Fury can’t really do is walk Usyk down because he will hit you with those counter shots, that is what he is really good at whereas Wilder didn’t really have those counter shots. One thing about Usyk is, he is a really good boxer, he hits angles well and his footwork is amazing.
For a heavyweight to have the footwork he has and the movement that he has, Usyk is still going to be a problem for Fury. But if Tyson sticks behind his jab and keeps moving, because Fury also has good footwork, he has to keep the angles and keep Usyk out of range because he is a good inside fighter. He doesn’t want to get too close, Fury’s power won’t work on the inside as much as it will long-range or mid-range.
