Oliver McCall has been defended for fighting at 59, as Mike Tyson faced criticism for his November bout with Jake Paul over his age.

Tyson went to-toe-toe with the ‘Problem Child’ at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on November 15, where he was bested over the course of eight rounds via unanimous decision – looking slow and sluggish compared to his former self during the bout.

However, given his age of 58, and his absence from the ring in a professional capacity since 2005, fans were hardly surprised that Paul achieved victory over the former WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion.

YouTuber-turned-pugilist Paul looked far fresher during the fight – also unsurprising given that he is 31 years Tyson’s junior – notching his professional record up to 11-1 with the victory. However, McCall failed to receive the same levels of criticism as Tyson four days later, when he entered the ring at the Texas Troubadour Theatre under the Country Box banner a year older than his fellow pugilist, to take on Stacy Frazier, 54.

UFC icon Don Frye has confessed that the face-off between Jake Paul and former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson made him feel nauseous. The boxing community was taken aback last year when Tyson announced his plans to return to professional boxing.

His last official match before his bout with Paul was in 2005, where he lost to ex-Irish boxer Kevin McBride. However, he did participate in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.

Many expressed concern for Tyson’s health leading up to the fight, but the boxing legend shared several videos of his training for the match, sparking worldwide conversation and leading fans to believe he could turn back time.

Regrettably, his age was apparent on the night of the fight, and it was clear after the second round that the 58 year old had nothing more to give.