The NASCAR season might have ended, but the excitement is at an all-time high. After all, it’s not always that the legendary boxer Mike Tyson and Jake Paul go head-to-head in a clash of the titans. While the off-season is usually dominated by headlines about drivers switching teams or taking a vacation at an exotic location, the boxing match seems to be the talk of the town at the moment, prompting Jade Avedisian to open up a question to the motorsport community.
Having raced alongside Kyle Larson briefly in 2020, Avedisian asked her followers about the potential winner between Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul. Her open-ended question sparked a debate on social media ahead of the blockbuster clash between two boxers who have no love or respect for each other.
Jade Avedisian is rooting for Mike Tyson
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Despite being just 18 years old, Jade Avedisian has made quite a name for herself in dirt racing circles. In 2022, she became the first female driver to win the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series. Besides winning the Rookie of the Year award at Chili Bowls Midget Nationals in 2023, she also went on to secure five wins last year, cementing her reputation as one of the brightest prospects in the motorsport world. Having competed for Keith Kunz Motorsports, a team that Kyle Larson has also driven for, it seems like only a matter of time before she breaks into one of NASCAR’s three national series.
Until then, the youngster is enjoying life in the fast lane. With the sporting world buzzing ahead of an iconic boxing match, Avedisian posted a tweet on X that read, “Who you putting your money on tonight?!? I got Mike”. She wasn’t the only prominent figure in the motorsport world to ask that question either, as former racing driver Mark Martin also asked his followers, “Who you think is going to win the fight. Tyson is a scary dude.” The responses for both the questions were polarized, with the NASCAR community sharing their views ahead of the fixture.
With an eye-opening $80 million purse, there is more than just pride on the line when both the boxers enter the ring. The fight has quickly evolved into somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, as it’s a clash between a boxing legend and a rising star. In NASCAR circles, it can almost be described as a matchup between current-day Jeff Gordon and Connor Zilisch, with the result going either way, depending on the circumstances. With the clash between two generations on the horizon, will it lead to a satisfying conclusion for the fans tuning in to the legendary fixture?
Who you putting your money on tonight?!? I got Mike
— Jade Avedisian (@jadeavedisian) November 16, 2024
As things stand, the tension is already at an all-time high. During the weigh-in, Jake Paul was seen crawling across the floor and stepping on Tyson’s foot before looking Iron Mike in the eye. Despite the veteran boxer refusing to engage in Paul’s provocation during the weeks leading up to the match, the 58-year-old couldn’t stop himself from slapping his opponent, after which security separated the two fighters. Walking out off the stage, Tyson simply said, “Talking’s over”, making NASCAR fans reminisce about the fight between Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Kyle Busch during the All-Star race earlier this year.
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NASCAR fans predict the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul’s outcome
If there’s one thing NASCAR fans are good at doing, it’s predicting results. After all, stock car racing enthusiasts are used to speculating about the winners of 36 races in the Cup Series every year. When Jade Avedisian asked her followers about the outcome of the boxing match, the response she received was enthusiastic. Cheering for the two-time world champion, one fan made his loyalties clear from the get-go, writing, “Hopefully Iron Mike KO’s him first round!!” Echoing a similar sentiment, another loyal fan of the ‘Kid Dynamite’ went on to say, “I’d rather lose with Mike than profit from the JP.”
Despite retiring in 2005, Mike Tyson, at the age of 58, was looking as fit as ever, weighing in at 233lb. Even though 27 years separated him from opponent Jake Paul, who is considered to be in the prime of his boxing career, a fan wasn’t willing to rule out ‘the Baddest Man On The Planet’. Writing on X, the fan said, “I dont care if Iron Mike is eighty billion years old. The brother is NOT someone i’d want to hit me in the face.” Given the limitations that come with his age, another fan devised an ingenious strategy that would help Tyson secure a victory over Paul. The fan wrote, “I feel like Tyson will need a knock out in the first 3 rounds or so. If he has to go the distance, his age could become a factor with stamina.”
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With Jade Avedisian’s question being asked to NASCAR fans, one fan joked by giving a race prediction instead, even though the NASCAR season is already over. Chimed in with a tongue-in-cheek comment, the fan said, “RTJ for me. Oh wait, you meant the fight not the late model race.” Recently, the legendary driver Martin Truex Jr closed the curtains on his full-time racing career, but the expectations are high for his younger brother, who is carrying on the iconic Truex name. However, with all eyes fixed on the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight, will sports fans be tuning in to any other event that will occur at the same time?