Boxing superstar Terence Crawford didn’t mince words when discussing Mike Tyson’s controversial return to the ring against Jake Paul.
After watching the 58-year-old Tyson drop a unanimous decision to Paul in his first professional fight in nearly 20 years, Terence Crawford made it clear he wasn’t impressed and he doesn’t believe Tyson should be fighting at all.
Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience hosted by Joe Rogan, Terence Crawford openly questioned the legitimacy of the bout.
“I think it was scripted,” Crawford said of Paul vs. Tyson.
Crawford pointed to Tyson’s body language during the fight as a red flag.
“I ain’t never seen Tyson biting his gloves and — it was taking all that he could not to hit him,” Crawford said, miming visible frustration. “It was just like, it’s heartbreaking to see an icon go out like that.”
The Tyson vs. Paul fight became one of the most talked-about boxing events of the year, largely because of the 30-year age gap between the two fighters. Tyson, a former undisputed heavyweight champion, hadn’t competed professionally since 2005. Meanwhile, Paul entered the bout in his athletic prime.
After the fight, social media exploded with conspiracy theories. Critics accused the matchup of being staged, pointing to Paul easing up in later rounds. While there has been no evidence to support those claims, Terence Crawford remains skeptical.
Beyond questioning the fight itself, Terence Crawford expressed concern about Tyson stepping back into the ring at his age.
“He shouldn’t have been in there. At all,” Crawford continued. “I think there’s other ways. I think, with all his connections and things like that, I think people could have put him in the right position to make some money.”
For Crawford, the issue isn’t just about optics — it’s about legacy. Tyson remains one of boxing’s most iconic figures, and Crawford believes the sport should protect legends rather than place them in physically demanding matchups decades past their prime.
Despite nearing 60 years old, Tyson has reportedly explored another comeback, with talks of a potential exhibition against Floyd Mayweather Jr. circulating. Whether that materializes remains to be seen.
As for Terence Crawford, the pound-for-pound great recently announced his retirement following a marquee win over Canelo Alvarez. Even in retirement, however, Terence Crawford continues to command attention with his unfiltered takes on boxing’s biggest headlines.
One thing is clear: Terence Crawford believes the sport should move forward not recycle aging legends for spectacle. And when it comes to Tyson’s return, Crawford isn’t buying the hype.
