This week is a big week in boxing with Mike Tyson facing Jake Paul in a highly anticipated exhibition fight in the Dallas, Texas area streaming on Netflix.
Appearing on today’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, former world heavyweight boxing champion, Shannon Briggs, a peer of Tyson and Paul’s first trainer, opened up about Friday’s fight.
With a career that spans over 20 years, Briggs, 52, has a career boxing record of 60-6 with notable bouts against the likes of George Foreman and Lennox Lewis. A native of Brooklyn, New York, the former WBO title holder’s punch was lethal as he possessed an 88.3% knockout-to-win percentage with 37 knockout wins in the first round of his fights.
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Prediction
Incidentally, Briggs says that Tyson has to be aggressive early in order to win his bout against Paul. “Seek and destroy,” he shared.
“Seek and destroy. Don’t play. Just seek and destroy. Cause pain. I think Mike needs to be mad a little bit and feel a little disrespected and feel a little bit like: ‘Okay, I gotta make an example of this kid.’
“It’s phenomenal for Mike. I applaud him and any fighter, being able to make money in this business. A lot of fighters live below the poverty line. They end up homeless, they end up having a lot of serious health problems. For Mike Tyson to be at his age and to be able to compete and make millions and millions of dollars? That’s a great thing.”
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) and Paul’s (10-1, 7 KOs) match will have modified rules. The match will feature eight two-minute rounds rather than the usual three-minute rounds in men’s professional boxing. Both competitors will also be wearing heavier 14-ounce gloves rather than the usual 10-ounce gloves.
Tyson, 58, has not competed professionally since 2005 in a sixth-round TKO to Kevin McBride. The boxing icon’s last action in the ring was a split draw to fellow boxing legend Roy Joynes Jr. in an exhibition match four years ago. Briggs says that Tyson at this age shouldn’t be alarming. “No, no, Not at all. With technology and where we are in the future, we live in a Jetsons age right now, man. So a guy like myself, I’m 52 years old, but I feel like a 25 year old man. Honestly, because of what we’ve learned over the years when it comes to health and then dieting and just in general, sleep, rest, recovery, it’s so many different, new medications that help people out, man. That’s just amazing, man. You know, a guy like Mike who is an amazing puncher, and he’s got money, so he can afford all the top medicine. He’s gonna be okay. He’s got therapy. You can rest, get massages, ice baths, hot tubs. Man, you could feel like a spring chicken at 80 years old if you do it right.”
Paul, 27, rose to prominence after his days in Disney films and Youtube prominence. His role in boxing is unorthodox because he’s competed in the sport of boxing by competing against athletes from other sports. Former NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson and MMA stars like Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren are some that Paul competed against. Notably: Paul’s only loss in professional boxing came via a split decision in a match against Tommy Fury last year.
Shannon Briggs says he wants to see Tyson beat Paul. “We want him to go in there strong and we want him to do what he’s supposed to do,” says Briggs.
“Be the great Mike Tyson and teach this boy a lesson.”
Shannon Briggs Return To The Ring?
In addition to discussing Tyson and Paul, Briggs discussed his career and said he’d welcome the opportunity to get back into the ring and compete in exhibitions, as well. Yeah. I can fight anybody at any given time,” he said.
No man alive in this world, when I’m in shape, could beat me. I don’t care how old I am. I know for a fact that I’m one of the hardest punches in boxing history. If you look up my record, I have the most first round knockouts in boxing history than any other heavyweight champion. So I know that, the reason why I’m not fighting is because they’re scared. They’re scared. No, seriously! I’m not fighting because they’re scared. They said that I’m a weapon of mass destruction and I couldn’t get a fight. So I got tired of chasing fights for so long. I’ve been blackballed in the industry a few times.”
Vince McMahon, WWE, UFC & Cross-Pollination of Athletes In MMA
Boxers, wrestlers and MMA fighters have found ways to amplify their brands by participating in cross-sport combat. Ronda Rousey went from UFC to the WWE. Boxing gold medalist and top women’s boxer, Claressa Shields has done it seamlessly via the Professional Fighters League. You’ve also seen Tyson, Floyd Maywether, Dennis Rodman, Lawrence Taylor, Karl Malone, Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson make in-ring appearances over the years. While Briggs says he was never approached to appear at wrestling venues, he respects the sport and likes the cross-pollination. “I watched it as a kid growing up, huge fan,” he said.
“Andre the Giant, Jimmy Superfly Snooka, Bob Backlund, The Iron Sheik. They’re always amazing times, man. I used to love when the women wrestlers would come out. And I used to watch it, you know, from 1979, 1978. Then the 80s. I’m talking about die hard fan. I mean, I can’t miss anything. I used to go to go. I went to see wrestling as a kid many times at Madison Square Garden. So I was really into it, but I miss those good old days. Saturday mornings wake up wrestling. Love it to death. I could tell you everything about wrestling, but I can’t see myself getting body slammed. I can’t see myself getting thrown into the turnbuckles. I can’t see any of it. It’s really a tough business in regards to these guys. These guys are amazing entertainers and sportsmen because they go out there and they have to take some big balls. They get hurt a lot. Amazing stuntmen, bro, so I respect it and it’s not my company. Even Logan Paul does it. I’m amazed at some of the things that he’s able to do. Getting on that top rope and flying off? I’m like, wow! I mean this kid is amazing.”
Briggs also credits Vince McMahon’s foresight in creating a total full service user experience for consumers. You gotta think about the genius of Vince McMahon and how he put that thing together,” he said.
“His dad was first originally, but then he carried on a legacy and to create what he created. I believe they sold it, but, to have the script I mean, and just let’s put a manager in there, and the manager will be like the hype man. It was just amazing, man. And I love that, the entertainment part of it. The managers made it so entertaining for wrestling. That’s what I wanna be: a manager in wrestling.”
Shannon Briggs’ Acting Career & Next Moves
Briggs may have an admiration for wrestling and those who diversified their portfolios, but he has done quite well on the diversification front in his own right. During the height of his boxing career in the 90s, the Brooklyn, New York native had a brief roles in Malik Yoba’s television show New York Undercover, had a brief cameo on The Fugees’ The Score album and appeared in a scene on Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Bad Boys II film.
During his scene in Bad Boys II, Briggs, who was part of a Haitian gang, was shot in the back of the head by Will Smith’s character at point-blank range. Briggs remembers the experience fondly. “It was fun, man,” he said. “It was cool. It was cool, actually. Both really nice guys, funny guys on and off camera. I shot with them for, like, maybe a month. I was around maybe 2 months, and it was pretty cool. Professional men, family men, on the job and you can learn from that. Looking at these guys and having an opportunity to work with these guys was a feather in my cap that I can tell my grandkids about.”
