A German physician has sounded the alarm on boxing for athletes over 40, in response to Mike Tyson’s underwhelming match with Jake Paul.

Iron Mike made his professional ring return for the first time since 2005 on November 15, at the notably unripe age of 58. In a predictable outcome, 27-year-old Paul dismantled the former heavyweight champ during an eight-round skirmish, concluding in a unanimous decision victory.

The disappointing spectacle prompted droves of fans to exit the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, prematurely, disgruntled by the sight of a much younger boxer outpacing his veteran opponent. No knockouts spared both men significant harm; nonetheless, Prof. Walter Wagner proposes prohibiting anyone above 40 from entering the boxing ring over safety concerns.

In a conversation with BILD, he said: “As a rule, you shouldn’t be allowed to get into the ring after the age of 40.” He further explained: “If you are not able to protect yourself sufficiently in the ring, i.e. defend yourself, then this can lead to serious health consequences. And an athlete’s health should be the top priority,” reports the Express.

Tyson managed to hold his own throughout the eight-round match, but victory never seemed within reach of winning. The former WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion came out strong in the first round, attempting to close the gap on Paul and secure an early win, but his efforts were fruitless.

Paul reigned supreme in the bout

Paul reigned supreme in the bout ( 

Image:

(Image: Getty))

By the third round, Paul began to take advantage of a visibly tired Tyson, outscoring the boxing legend 80-72, 79-73, 79,73 when all was said and done. Despite Wagner’s apparent concern for fighter safety, his warnings are likely to be ignored by many fight fans.

This is because some of the most renowned champions in combat sports have claimed titles in their respective weight classes well into their 40s. George Foreman won the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at 45 after knocking out Michael Moorer in 1994, while Vitali Klitschko held onto his WBC title until he was 42.

Even Bernard Hopkins was still vying for titles at 51, challenging Joe Smith Jr for the WBC International light-heavyweight title in 2016 – although he lost via an eighth-round TKO.