Mike Tyson doesn’t look far for a reason on why he thinks Manny Pacquiao can handle Errol Spence Jr. in their title clash on Saturday, August 21 (Sunday, August 22, Philippine time).

Dubbed “The Baddest Man on the Planet” in his prime, Tyson told EsNews the fact that Pacquiao bested the then-unbeaten World Boxing Association welterweight champion Keith Thurman in 2019 is proof enough.

“You can’t rule out Pacquiao because he beat Thurman. Pac can move, and that can mess you up,” explained the former unified heavyweight world champion and all-time great.

Tyson was weaving his body as he spoke, mimicking Pacquiao’s signature ring movement. “He’s all over the place.”

The youngest heavyweight champion ever at 20, Tyson thinks Pacquiao will wait for Spence, the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation welterweight champion, to make a mistake before launching a lethal assault on fight night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a way, Tyson may be seeing his shadow in Pacquiao, the sport’s only eight-division world champion.

Like Pacquiao, who’s a small welterweight at hardly 5-foot-6, Tyson is a small heavyweight at 5-foot-10. They both use speed and power to overwhelm opponents.

They dare to fight the best out there, with Pacquiao still challenging young guns at 42. The 55-year-old Tyson, for his part, tangled with fellow boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition that was called a draw last December.

No wonder, Pacquiao and Tyson hold each other in high esteem.

They talked briefly via FaceTime arranged by EsNews on Saturday, after which Pacquiao invited Tyson to be at ringside for the blockbuster pay-per-view bout.

Tyson readily agreed. In watching Pacquiao, Tyson’s reliving when he’s the king of the ring. – Rappler.com