Former world boxing champion and renowned fighter Amir Khan has announced his readiness to step into the ring to replace Mike Tyson in a match against Jake Paul. The much-anticipated bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, initially scheduled for July 20 in Texas, USA, has been postponed due to Tyson’s health issues. This development has left fans and the media speculating about who will take Tyson’s place.
KSI, another YouTuber-turned-boxer, was considered a potential opponent for Jake Paul. However, a fight between Paul and KSI is unlikely to happen before early 2025. Amid these speculations, Amir Khan, a former world champion and a prominent figure in boxing, has expressed his willingness to fight Jake Paul.
“If the weight can be agreed upon, I’m ready to fight. I have no problem giving up 10 kilograms or more to my opponent. I know Jake Paul has gained a lot of weight to fight Mike Tyson. If he agrees to lose some of that weight, I will fight him,” Amir Khan stated in an interview with The Mirror.
About a month ago, reports suggested that Jake Paul was bulking up to 240 pounds (approximately 108 kg) to face Mike Tyson. In his most recent fight against Ryan Bourland in March this year, Jake Paul weighed 91 kg. In contrast, Amir Khan has maintained a fighting weight of around 63.5 kg during his peak years. The British-Pakistani boxer has held titles in various weight classes, including the WBA, WBO Inter-Continental lightweight (61.2 kg), WBA (super), IBF light-welterweight (63.5 kg), and WBA, WBC welterweight (67 kg). The heaviest Khan has fought at was middleweight (73 kg) in his high-profile bout against Canelo Alvarez in May 2016.
For Khan to step into the ring, Jake Paul would need to reduce his weight significantly, ideally to around 75-80 kg. Given Jake Paul’s current eagerness to fight Mike Tyson, even if it means waiting until the fourth quarter of this year for Tyson to recover and prepare, it seems unlikely that Paul will accept Khan’s challenge.
“Let’s wait and see. I haven’t received any calls yet. I think Jake Paul is still hoping for the fight with Mike Tyson and doesn’t want to risk a potential defeat before that match,” said Khan.
“Guys like Jake are only ‘half-trained.’ They might still be drinking during training camp, or they might not even have a proper training camp. They make the sport look bad. So, if I have to step into the ring and knock out guys like KSI, Jake, and his brother Logan Paul, I’m always ready to do that,” Amir Khan confidently declared.
Amir Khan’s willingness to face Jake Paul highlights his dedication to the sport and his desire to maintain the integrity of boxing. Fans and the media are now eagerly waiting to see if this potential match will come to fruition, adding another exciting chapter to the ongoing saga of celebrity boxing.
