Hall of Fame boxing referee Richard Steele has issued warnings about upcoming fight between Mike Tyson And Jake Paul.

“With Mike Tyson, it’s so dangerous even for the referee because you have to be close, but you have to be far away to be able to allow them to do their job,” said Steele, who refereed six of Tyson’s fights , in USA. TODAY Sports. “You always had to be aware of what was happening because one of Mike Tyson’s punches could really hurt the other guy. And maybe he doesn’t need to take the other punch.

Who will inherit this responsibility is not yet publicly known.

Tela Mange, a spokeswoman for the State Department that regulates combat sports in Texas, said last week that she had no news to announce regarding referees or judges for the Tyson-Paul fight, scheduled for June 15. November at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. .

One thing is certain, it will not be Steele, who is now 80 years old.

“No, man. I’ve had enough,” he said.

But he offered his thoughts on several topics, including the two-minute rounds that he believes will create a disadvantage for Paul in a scheduled eight-round fight.

“I don’t see this guy going that far with Tyson,” said Steele, who boxed professionally, going 12-4 from 1966 to 1970 before becoming a referee in 1972. “Because Tyson, he’s so strong and he’s a former champion. He knows what he’s doing and for two minutes… he can give it his all.

Additionally, according to Steele, additional padding in the 14-ounce gloves that will be used rather than the standard 10-ounce gloves will provide no benefit to Paul.

“It’s still a small gauntlet when you think about the power of Mike Tyson,” he said.

Steele refereed a notable fight involving Tyson on October 23, 1999. Just after the bell rang at the end of the first round, Tyson punched and knocked down his opponent, Orlin Norris.

Steele deducted two points from Tyson on the judges’ scorecards, and Norris said he injured his knee in the knockdown and could not continue. The fight was stopped and declared no contest.

“He didn’t want it anymore,” Steele said of Norris. “He just got on his knees to get out of the fight.

“It was definitely a (foul), but I think the punch was on its way and he couldn’t stop it.”

Steele said he recently watched footage of Tyson, 58, working with a heavy bag in preparation to face Paul, 27.

“He’s still dangerous,” Steele said. “He has so much power…I just hope he doesn’t end up hurting himself or the other guy.”

Follow Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Beware of Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight, warns former referee Richard Steele