Tony Bellew slams Jake Paul for fighting ‘grandfather’ Mike Tyson – insisting he ‘wouldn’t even need to train’ to batter the YouTuber – as the ex-world champion gatecrashes and is thrown out of final press conference

British former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew has thrown shade at Jake Paul and Mike Tyson ahead of the fight on everyone’s lips.

Tyson, the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, is set to make a long-awaited return to professional boxing in his fight against the YouTuber-turned-boxer on Friday in Arlington, Texas.

The fight was postponed from its original date in July, but a flare-up of a stomach ulcer while on a plane meant Tyson, 58, was advised to postpone the bout.

‘Problem child’ Paul, 27, tried to get under his opponent’s skin during a press conference on Wednesday evening, but no statements were made about Tyson’s age, personality and the incident when he bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997.

While crashing the pre-fight event, Bellew conducted his own dig at the pair, bringing in a ‘great-grandfather’ as a proposed next opponent for the influencer as part of an apparent publicity stunt for a bookmaker, and spoke to IFL TV about the fight afterwards.

Tyson spoke to Paul in a largely tepid final pre-fight press conference on Wednesday

Tony Bellew mocked the pair by introducing a pensioner as Paul’s next opponent

He said: ‘I’m terrified to be honest. Of course he could [hurt Tyson] he’s half his age.

‘He’s a grandfather. It is a 58 year old grandfather.

‘I’m 41, I play golf a few times a week and I have a big belly and he wouldn’t have any hope against me.

‘I wouldn’t even have to train. I was able to just get in the ring and highlight him pretty quickly.

“I pray and hope he doesn’t get through Mike. He could never entertain me, mate, that’s never possible in a million years.’

Bellew, who retired in 2018 after losing to Oleksandr Usyk, then suggested Paul fight his sidekick for the evening, Norman, who also appeared to represent the bookmaker.

The former fighter claimed Norman is a ‘great-grandfather’ and has ‘two new hips’ and is ‘ready to rock and roll anytime’, except Thursday – his bingo night.

The pair had to be escorted from the final pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening, which was a highlight of a rather tepid event.

Paul bet his entire wallet with Irish fighter Katie Taylor that he would beat Tyson

‘Iron Mike’ was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world for three years

The American last fought professionally in a loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005

The temperature in the room suddenly rose as the undercard fighters were asked to choose who would win the main event – and the majority tipped Tyson.

Paul was having none of it and rose to confront those supporting ‘Iron Mike’ to gain the upper hand.

One of Tyson’s backers was Irish icon Taylor, who will face Amanda Serrano – a fighter promoted by Paul – in Friday’s co-main event, ultimately betting on the influencer’s entire £31million purse that he would lose.

Paul is the favorite to emerge victorious, with many expecting him to be too fresh for Tyson considering he is 31 years his junior. But Tyson is confident he will turn back the years to shock the world in his first professional fight in almost two decades.

Tyson remained calm for most of Wednesday’s press conference, but appeared irritated when a reporter brought up the prospect of losing.

“I won’t lose,” he shot back.