The undercard for Tyson Fury‘s undisputed title fight with Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 has been officially confirmed.
Fury and Usyk will finally meet in the ring as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
The winner of the highly-anticipated bout will also unify the division for the first time since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in March 1999.
However, Fury and Usyk won’t be the only heavyweights on the card – which comes as no surprise considering his Excellency Turki Alalshikh loves the big hitters.
Heavyweight contenders Frank Sanchez and Agit Kabayel have been added to the undercard of the May 18 fight at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.
The undercard for Tyson Fury ‘s undisputed title fight with Oleksandr Usyk has been confirmed
Heavyweight contenders Frank Sanchez (above) and Agit Kabayel have been added to the undercard of the May 18 fight at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia
Jai Opetaia (right) – who produced a stunning KO victory over Ellis Zorro on the Day of Reckoning card in Saudi Arabia last December – will taken on Mairis Briedis on May 18
Kabayel (24-0, 16 KOs) will feel confident heading into the fight after securing a surprising fourth-round knockout win over previously unbeaten heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card last December.
Boxing fans thought Makhmudov would make light work of Kabayel. However, the German-born heavyweight dropped Makhmudov three times after targeting his body.
Meanwhile, Sanchez (24-0, 17 KOs) heads into the off the back of a a seventh-round knockout win over Junior Fa last December. It was a good performance from Sanchez but Fa had lost two of his previous three fights prior.
Jai Opetaia – who produced a stunning KO victory over Ellis Zorro on the Day of Reckoning card in Saudi Arabia last December – will taken on Mairis Briedis on May 18.
Opetaia has already proven himself against Briedis, outpointing the three-time cruiserweight champion over twelve rounds in July 2022, but must do it again if he’s to become world champion for a second time.
The 28-year-old Australian was stripped of his crown when he fought Zorro in December and claims he is eager to get his hands back on the belt.
Meanwhile, Joe Cordina will defend his IBF super-featherweight title in a home nations clash against Ireland’s Anthony Cacace.
The 32-year-old Welshman previously defended his title against Edward Vazquez at the Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin after beating Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov to reclaim his belt.
Meanwhile, Joe Cordina (right) will defend his IBF super-featherweight title in a home nations clash against Ireland’s Anthony Cacace
Moses Itauma will also feature on the undercard after sparring with the Gypsy King
EXCLUSIVE: Moses Itauma on Tyson advice, and AJ comparisons
Eddie Hearn says Cordina – who trains alongside Conor Benn under the watchful eye of Tony Sims – is the ‘best 130lbs fighter on the planet’ and back him to get the job done.
Mark Chamberlain will return to Saudi Arabia to face Joshua Oluwaseun after appearing on the undercard of the heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou in Riyadh.
Chamberlain – who Gavin Gwynne beat Gavin Gwynne on the Knockout Chaos card – is one of Alalshikh’s favourite boxers and was hand picked by his excellency after seeing him in action at York Hall.
Moses Itauma will also feature on the undercard of Fury vs Usyk after sparring with the Gypsy King. The 19-year-old starlet – who has pledged to break Mike Tyson‘s record to become the youngest world champion in history – will face Ilja Mazencev.
New Zealand Olympian David Nyika will face Michael Seitz at cruiserweight and English featherweight Isaac Lowe is matched with Hasibullah Ahmadi.
While Sergey Kovalev – the former long-standing light heavyweight world champion – will go up against the undefeated Robin Sirwan Safar at cruiserweight.
Fernando Alonso slid from sixth to eighth position after receiving a 20-second time penalty following the Australian Grand Prix. The Stewards took this stringent judgment after learning that Alonso had approached turn 6 in a manner that perhaps caused Russell (who was chasing Alonso), to crash. Following this, the Spaniard wrote a lengthy post on Twitter (now X), where he mentioned that the decision had surprised him a bit. This is because Alonso believes that without gravel on that corner, he wouldn’t have ever been investigated. Amid all of this, commentator Marc Surer has come up to defend the Aston Martin driver’s reckless driving by citing Lewis Hamilton’s example.
Advertisement
Following the race, F1 fans cast their votes on the Formula1.de YouTube channel regarding whether Alonso had raced unfairly. Although 30% of respondents said ‘yes’,” Surer considered himself to be somewhere in the middle.
The 72-year-old said, “We also saw Hamilton, who is considered a fair driver. When he fought with Rosberg, how they drove into each other’s cars. So, there are no nice world champions.”
Advertisement
However, Surer made sure to state that although Alonso’s actions were wrong, they were not uncommon. Because of this, the pundit thinks Alonso’s penalty was justified. Subsequently, Surer emphasized the correct interpretation of the stewards’ decision.
According to him, the officials clarified that there was no reason to believe that Alonso had any malicious intent. However, he drove recklessly and apparently for no reason, which violated the regulations.
As Surer concluded, he once more pointed out that Alonso made a mistake in judgment. As per the commentator, the collision might have been avoided if Alonso had applied the brakes 50 meters later and then accelerated. He said, “That was a dangerous situation. I think He wanted to brake earlier and exaggerated and misjudged. ”
How did Fernando Alonso react to his penalty at the Australian GP?
In F1, a driver rarely faces penalties for a crash that occurs behind them. However, this happened at the Australian Grand Prix when Fernando Alonso received a 20-second time penalty after Russell crashed behind him (due to his erratic maneuver) on the penultimate lap. Following this unexpected punishment, Alonso vented his discontentment on social media.
View post on X
Advertisement
Alonso wrote, “A bit surprised by a penalty at the end of the race regarding how we should approach the corners or how we should drive the race cars. At no point do we want to do anything wrong at these speeds.” Subsequently, the two-time champion defended his actions with some past examples to support his argument too.
Alonso said that in his 20 years as an F1 driver, he has had some incredible duels. While mentioning some of them, he noted the races in Imola in 2005–2006 and Brazil in 2023, where drivers changed their lines and reduced their entrance speeds to have strong turn exits. According to Alonso, these moves are not unjustified but are an aspect of the art of motorsport.
Later, he even defended his dangerous braking on Turn 6 by explaining that drivers don’t drive at 100% every lap to save fuel, tires, and brakes. In summary, the Spaniard finds it surprising that he got punished for the action.
Previously, after the post-race investigation, which included the study of telemetry data, replays stewards noted that Telemetry from Alonso’s car indicated that his car lifted slightly more than 100 m earlier than he ever had to go into turn 6.’
The rules for Jake Paul‘s clash with Mike Tyson in Arlington Texas have been announced.
Paul and Tyson have announced that they will fight in Dallas live on Netflix in what is being dubbed the ‘biggest fight of the 21st century’.
It marks a sensational return to the ring for Tyson who will be 58 by the time he fights the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer nicknamed ‘The Problem Child’.
The fight between Paul and Tyson is being held at the 80,000-seater AT&T Stadium in Texas, which is the home of NFL team Dallas Cowboys.
Several details surrounding the fight – which both boxer’s want sanctioned as a professional bout – remain unclear, but the rules have been announced.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, who has a 9-1 record with six KOs, will fight in Texas on July 20
The high-profile fight will take place with no headgear, with Tyson the heavy favorite to win
The majority of the rules – other than the glove weight – are the same as when Tyson took on Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout in November 2020
Paul and Tyson will be wearing 16-ounce boxing gloves instead of the traditional 10-ounce gloves used in professional fights.
Two-minute rounds will be in place instead of the usual three-minute rounds and there will be no official judges ringside to score the fight.
The only way either Paul or Iron Mike could win the fight would be if there was a knockout on the night.
The majority of the rules – other than the glove weight – are the same as when Tyson took on Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout in November 2020.
As it stands, the undercard for the bout between Paul and Tyson has not yet been discussed.
Speaking about the undercard, Tela Mange, Communications Manager for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, said it’s not ‘unusual’ to secure a date and venue before proposing the fighters.
‘It’s pretty common for a promoter to request a date several months out but not immediately provide the proposed card,’ Mange told USA Today Sports.
‘They want to be sure that they’ve secured the date with us, since we’ll have to make sure we have appropriate staffing available for any event.
‘The promoter will need to submit proposed cards before we determine whether a particular contest would be considered as an exhibition or a professional fight, or how a proposed exhibition might be structured.’
Mange also revealed how fighters over 36 are required to pass a electroencephalogram (EEG) and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to be cleared to fight in the ring.
Tyson showed fans that he’s still go it at age 57 as he prepares for his first fight since 2020
Viddal Riley will be stepping through the ropes at the O2 Arena on Sunday night, where he’ll be basking in the glow of the lights and the gaze of the cameras, bringing to his childhood dream to life.
But, it’s not always been glitz and glam for the 26-year-old. He grew up in a ‘difficult environment’, lived under the watchful eye of his strict parents and thought about walking away from the sport due to financial restraints.
Speaking ahead of his fight with Mikael Lawal on Sunday night, Riley told Mail Sport: ‘Tottenham was a very difficult environment to grow up in but a very close community. There were a lot of strong personalities. People who are struggling, people who are desperate so it creates a tough environment.
‘My mum and dad did a very good job of being those strict parents in that environment because it was so easy to be let off the leash. They were very good at saying, no you’re not going to do what you want. You’re going to do this.
‘When I got to my late teenage years, it got to a point where they can’t control you as much. So, I was getting in bits of trouble during that time. It made me realise why they were like that.
Viddal Riley will be stepping through the ropes at the O2 Arena on Sunday night, where he’ll be basking in the glow of the lights and the gaze of the cameras, bringing to his dream to life
Mail Sport sat down with Riley at his gym to discuss his childhood, career and goals
Riley had his hands wrapped for the first time at the age of six and his now a professional
‘When they were being like that I thought it was unnecessary but when it stopped I was getting all sorts of trouble so I thought maybe they are right. So yeah, it was a really difficult environment.’
Riley’s early years in Tottenham laid the foundation for his journey into the world of boxing. He took up the sport at the age of four and began fighting at just six years old.
However, it wasn’t the love affair he had hoped for. Riley spoke about how the early pressure and rigorous training overshadowed the joy of boxing, causing him to burnout.
He found it hard to balance his social life and the intense commitment boxing demands – ultimately falling out of love with the sport and walking away from his dreams just over nine years ago.
‘I think I started too young. I think I started at an age when the rewards weren’t life changing so as much as I was winning the nationals every year and getting selected to be part of the England team my life wasn’t changing.
‘They are all very prestigious things that I look back on with great pride but at the time I was thinking, it’s not changing anything for me. I could go and do something that I would see immediate chance with.
Riley is also known for his online presence having 1.2million subscribers on YouTube alone
Riley took a break from boxing but returned after watching Lawrence Okolie at the Olympics
‘I just got bored of hearing “this sets you up well for further down the line”. Obviously they were wise words that were coming from wise people but part of being a kid is that instant gratification. I wanted to feel all the titles I had won.
‘So yeah, I just thought let me try something else. Let me do something else with my time. But, then when I realised I should get back into it, was probably at the perfect time. Because when you had been a few years into resuming, that is when you do start to see those rewards. You do see a difference.’
He went on to add: ‘It’s definitely the mental side. Physically, you’re a kid. You’re young, you don’t have any issues, you could fly off a building if you wanted too and recover.
‘Mentally, it’s the discipline and the focus that is required when you are first exposed to so many distractions. I started at six years old, which is obviously very young. But, you don’t have any freedom as such.
‘You’re more directed and told where you are going to be until you develop into your teenage years when you have your own friendship groups and they have interests. You want to be a part of what they are doing and then whatever you have committed to become a nuisance.
‘I’m trying to think of a better word but I am just going to go with nuisance. It becomes a nuisance because you’re thinking, I can’t go here because I’ve got training, I can’t do this because I’ve got to run. So, when the rewards aren’t satisfying you, it’s very hard to make those sacrifices.’
Riley is friends with YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI and trained his for his first boxing match
Riley joined KSI on a trip to Las Vegas and ended up being signed by Mayweather Promotions
After falling walking away from the sport, Riley was forced to take up a retail job. It certainly wasn’t his passion but the unexpected turn provided him some life-long friends.
‘I went straight into working full-time. My mum was like, well, you better do something if you’re not going to University and if you’re not fully focused on boxing. So, I picked retail. The easiest one to get into most of the time.
‘So I worked in retail and I worked in Night Tale in Oxford Street, Oxford Circus. I also worked at JD Sports. I had an interest for trainers and sports so I thought if I am going to do any sort of job I have to have at least some sort of care for it.
‘I ended up meeting a lot of life long friends through those jobs. It was a blessing, it lead me to so many things. I also got my PT qualification during that time. I am always someone who is going to do something even if I am not boxing.
‘I can’t just be alive and sit still, I will always find something to do. But, boxing just keep dragging me back in.’
Riley returned to the ring after watching Lawrence Okolie compete in the 2016 Olympic Games. The social media sensation found Okolie’s performance underwhelming and said it was a catalyst for propelling him back into the sport.
Riley said he was surprised by how ‘calm’ KSI was he first met the YouTuber (pictured together)
Riley is unbeaten in his professional career, having successfully won all 10 of his bouts
‘I remember I was working, I was doing fine but I was watching the Olympics. I wanted to check who was there in my weight as I know that’s the weight I would be at if I was there.
‘When I watched Lawrence [Okolie] competing I thought, I definitely could have made the Olympics. Lawrence was a lot less experienced than me at the time. He got into the sport recently, he worked really hard and he was inspired by AJ at the 2012 Olympics then was at the 2016 Olympics.
‘I just thought, I know I am better than you. I have been doing it a lot longer than you, but with some focus and dedication you are at the Olympics. So, if I put some hard work and dedication in, with the head start I have on you, I must become something.
‘Surely I can do something. That’s why I was motivated after that to get back in the gym and not waste all those years of investment when he has shown what you can do in just four.
‘I was annoyed at myself because I believe if I had of stayed on it, it wouldn’t have allowed the avenue for him to go because I should have been there. I would have been working on being there for a much longer period of time.
‘Yeah it was frustrating and I just thought, I am going to waste this if I don’t go back now. I think I went back just at the right time.’
Despite forging his own career in boxing, Viddal Riley gained widespread attention when he played a pivotal role in training KSI for his highly publicised bouts against Joe Weller and Logan Paul.
Riley knocked Jone Volau down during their fight at the OVO Arena Wembley on June 11
Riley became the English cruiserweight champion after securing a unanimous decision win over Nathan Quarless
Speaking about how he first met KSI, Riley said: ‘I trained a lot with KSI’s friends. They all lived in the same place and word just spread around the building that they’ve got a PT and that they’ve seen this improvement etc everyday.
‘But, that didn’t matter to him because he already had a PT. My purpose came when he was going to have a boxing match against Joe Weller. That was announced at the end of 2017 to take place at the beginning of 2018.
‘So, only when he needed my knowledge for boxing was when he was like I will check out what you guys are saying. He just came down to the gym and we did one session, two sessions, three sessions and then the fight got confirmed.
‘We just had a training camp building up until February. He performed really well but non of us at the time realised what it would develop into. At that time there was no crossover world. It was a one off event. I didn’t want to be a boxing coach. I just thought I was trying this guy for a one off event. I will give him everything until that point and then I will move on and go back to doing what I was doing.’
Riley went on to describe what KSI was like behind closed doors. He said: ‘KSI was a lot calmer than I expected. I think the personality he has on his channel is very different to the person you know personally.
The 26-year-old (pictured at his gym above) enjoyed an easy night against Quarless at York Hall in Bethnal Green and took one step closer to securing his own legacy as a fighter
‘I was just shocked at how chill he really was. He listens extremely well. when he puts his mind to something he really dives in and dedicates himself to it. That’s why he’s had all the success he has had.
‘We gelled really well from the jump. He was my big brother in situations and when it came to boxing and how to navigate that world, I was his big brother. We had a really good relationship. We used each other’s knowledge in our respective areas to help each other get where we wanted.’
Riley continued to work closely with KSI and accompanied the YouTuber on a life changing trip to Las Vegas. But, little did Riley know, he wouldn’t be returning to the UK.
Instead, he uprooted his life and moved permanently to Las Vegas after signing with Floyd Mayweather‘s company ‘Mayweather Promotions’ after impressing CEO Leonard Ellerbe during sparring.
‘I was away shadowing KSI. He paid for the flight for me and still to this day, that was something that changed my life. I had never had anyone pay anything for me to that scale. He decided to book a business class return flight to Vegas – which to me is crazy. But, he did it.
‘I felt like I had to make the most of it. They only thing I could do to justify it is go there and represent well. He’s going in the gym saying this is my trainer and he’s the one that taught me.
‘So, I can’t go in there and get beaten up – I might have been out of a job! So I went in there and put my best boots on. I had a few good sparring sessions. I have a good sparring session with Andrew Tabiti who as the top cruiserweight at the time in the US.
‘I did well against him, it was only three rounds but I had shown enough for them [Mayweather Promotions] to say come and work with us. Lets see if we can build something out of you.
‘I remember thinking, do I sign with Mayweather Promotions, move to Vegas as a 21 year old or do I keep striving for the Olympics. I thought, hell yeah I am moving to the strip.
‘I said I am moving to the strip and that I was going to make this work in the desert and in the sun and have a brand new experience. I don’t regret doing it. At that time it was like just do it.
‘It just doesn’t happen, you don’t get calls saying “hey I am one of the best boxers ever, do you want to sign for me”… ah no I am good bro thanks. You are not doing it!’.
However, Riley’s love affair with Las Vegas didn’t last long. The social media star decided to give up his life on the strip and return to England after a series of injuries and government shutdowns due to Covid tainted his experience.
‘A lot was missing. Family being one of the main things, you know, just that freedom of knowing where you are, and knowing where you can go, how you can spend your spare time.
‘Even having your cousins down the road. You know, it was just a lot of things that I took for granted, we’re gone. What made it even more difficult was the fact it was during the pandemic. So my family couldn’t even travel to see me. So I just felt like I was stuck there.
‘From a boxing side of things, I just needed my dad to coach me again. I didn’t think so, which is why I went for it. I thought he had taught me enough and that someone else could build off that and that they’d get through to me. But when I was there, I realised that no one gets through to me how he gets through to me.
‘He coaches me in a way where it does set it into my mind. And I think without that, I knew I wouldn’t be the same fighter and I could feel myself becoming worse as a fighter. So, I had to move back. I dropped everything, spent a ton of money, inconvenienced a lot of people and moved back.’
Riley is looking to extend his professional record to 11-0 when he takes on Lawal at the O2 Arena on Sunday evening
When asked why he felt his dad was able to get through to him in a way no other coach has managed, Riley said: ‘He’s my parent you know. In the long and short of it he’s had to get through to me for multiple things in my life at different times.
‘Boxing is just another section of that. He he’s had to teach me everything in life. Even in the beginning he had to tell me to pee here or wherever. He’s found a way to get through to me.
‘Walk like this, talks like this, even simple things. Simple life lessons is what they are and boxing is just another lesson. So the same way he learned how to get those things through to me, he’s learned to get boxing through to me. He said right if I’m going to teach Viddal boxing, and it has to be like this, this is how he learns.’
Riley is looking to extend his professional record to 11-0 when he takes on Lawal at the O2 Arena on Sunday evening.
Mike Tyson spoke about one of the most tragic moments in his life and it got too much for the Baddest Man on the Planet.
Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson once walked out of an interview after talking about the tragic death of his daughter.
The 57-year-old has been married three times and has fathered seven different children: Mikey, Rayna, Amir, Miguel, Exodus, Milan and Morocco.
In 2009, daughter Exodus, who Tyson had with Sol Xochitl, lost her life at just four years of age.
It was reported that Exodus caught her neck in a treadmill cord and was strangled at the gym in Phoenix, Arizona.
She was found unconscious by older brother Miguel, who alerted mother Sol.
Sol tried to perform CPR in a bid to revive her daughter and called 911.
Exodus was rushed to hospital, where she sadly passed away on May 25 2009 after being placed on life support.
Image: Getty
At the time, Sgt Andy Hill from the Phoenix Police Department said: “Somehow, she was playing on this treadmill, and there’s a cord that hangs under the console; it’s kind of a loop. Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it.”
Tyson was in Las Vegas at the time of the incident and was at Exodus’ bedside at the St Joseph Hospital when he died.
He was left inconsolable and in a TV interview, candidly spoke about the state of mind the tragedy left him in.
Historic Vids
@historyinmemes ·Follow
Mike Tyson cuts an interview short after being asked about the tragic passing of his young daughter in 2009.
Watch on Twitter
106.6K
Reply
Read 765 replies
“This is my best thinking at the time. Get my gun, automatic, just like this and go crazy,” Tyson said.
The youngest heavyweight champ said he “couldn’t handle it at all” after Exodus died and turned to cocaine.
It was at this point that an emotional Tyson asked to stop the interview, saying, “You have to go, you understand, right? Thank you”.
His microphone was removed before the interviewer consoled Tyson and apologised for bringing up the trauma, telling him he was “allowed to cry”.
‘Iron’ Mike returns to the ring in July when he takes on Jake Paul in a huge fight at the AT&T Stadium live on Netflix.
Mike Tyson has sent Jake Paul a fresh warning ahead of their fight this summer.
Earlier this month the boxing world was stunned by the announcement that Mike Tyson will return to the ring to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
The fight is scheduled to take place on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Former heavyweight world champion Tyson will be 58 by then, and will enter the ring for the first time since he fought Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition fight in November 2020.
Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2005, and many fans are concerned that he has decided to fight an athlete 31 years younger than him.
Figures from the worlds of boxing and MMA have criticised the fight, including Eddie Hearn, Ricky Hatton, Conor McGregor, Colby Covington and Dana White.
The outside noise clearly isn’t bothering Tyson though, who is busy preparing for the fight that could reportedly earn him more than £15 million.
Videos have emerged on social media of Tyson training, although some have claimed the footage is not from this year.
Whatever anybody else thinks, Tyson is certainly confident that he will beat his younger challenger.
Tyson is widely considered among the greatest fighters of all time (Getty)
On Sunday Tyson uploaded an image of himself in the boxing gym to his Snapchat story, accompanied by the caption “Roses are red, violets are blue, watch out Jake Paul, I’m coming for you.”
Both boxers are treating the fight with the utmost sincerity.
The two men have been friendly in the past, but there was reportedly tension during the seven-hour negotiation when arranging the bout.
“When you sign the contract, something changes, right?,” Paul said on the ‘BS with Jake Paul’ podcast.
“Even if we want to feel that, but it’s like we are facing off, obviously, I love him and respect him so much.
“I’m honoured to be going into the ring with him, but we are f***ing fighting each other.”
One of the greatest heavyweights of all time has made his feelings clear.
Mike Tyson is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time and dominated the sport for much of the 1980s and 1990s.
Tyson had a total of 58 professional boxing bouts between 1985 and 2005 in a career which spanned three decades and came to a conclusion as he approached his 39th birthday.
In that time, Tyson chalked up 50 wins and just six losses, with an astounding 44 victories on knockout as he demonstrated his stopping power in the ring.
Evander Holyfield beat Tyson twice in the 1990s in back to back defeats, while Briton Lennox Lewis knocked out Iron Mike at a contest in 2002.
Buster Douglas, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride were the other three fighters to have knocked out Tyson in his professional career.
But neither of these three, nor Holyfield or Lewis, were once named by Tyson as the opponent who could live with his punches.
That accolade goes to Jose Ribalta, whom Tyson fought in his 26th bout at the age of just 20 in August 1986.
Tyson won that bout with a technical knockout in the 10th round at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City in New Jersey.
The victory was a remarkable 26 without loss for Tyson, who only lost his first professional fight in 1990 when he took on Douglas in what was then his 38th bout, having been the undisputed world heavyweight champion between then and 1987.
Getty)
Speaking back in 2014 to Ring TV in a Q&A, Tyson felt that Ribalta was the one fighter who was able to take his punches as he believes the opponent had the best chin and was the strongest he faced.
He said: “I hit Jose Ribalta with everything, and he took everything and kept coming back for more.
“Jose Ribalta stood toe to toe with me. He was very strong in the clinches.”
Jake Paul will be the next boxer to feel Tyson’s power when face each other on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming showdown against Tyson – also known as ‘Iron Mike’ – Paul said: “I idolised Mike Tyson until the first time I met him 4 years ago…he called me Logan. Going to make sure he knows who I am real close and personal.”
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul will be aired on Netflix.
The top ten biggest pay-per-view boxing events have been revealed as Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is set to break viewing records.
Tyson vs. Paul is not on PPV as the heavyweight bout will be aired on Netflix, who have over 200 million subscribers.
But had the boxing legend’s clash against ‘The Problem Child’ been on PPV, then it would’ve generated huge buys considering the profile of both fighters.
‘Iron’ Mike is no stranger to pulling in massive PPV numbers, having been involved in some big fights during his iconic professional career.
He had two monster fights against Evander Holyfield, which garnered a combined 3,590,000 PPV buys.
However, when it comes to the PPV king, then look no further than Floyd Mayweather, who dominates the top ten.
His super-fight against Manny Pacquiao back in May 2015 generated a whopping 4,600,000 PPV buys.
And his money-spinning showdown against UFC superstar Conor McGregor brought in 4,300,000 PPV buys.
His fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez generated 2,400,000 and 2,200,000 PPV buys respectively.
Check out the top ten below:
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao – 4.6m
Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor – 4.3m
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather – 2.4m
Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez – 2.2m
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield 2 – 1.99m
Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson – 1.97m
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr – 1.6m
Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield 1 – 1.6m
Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto – 1.5m
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez – 1.4m
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao during their fight in 2015. Image: Getty
Netflix broadcasting Tyson vs. Paul is their first entry in the fight game, having secured a deal with WWE, beginning in January 2025.
In a statement, Nakisa Bidarian, who fronts Most Valuable Promotions, said: “Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once in a lifetime dream matchup and I anticipate it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history.
“Partnering with Netflix for this deal presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to the world on an unprecedented scale and we look forward to delivering this incredible clash of two of sports biggest names. Six generations of boxing fans will have a stake in the outcome and will be able to watch an anti-hero, Jake Paul, put it all on the line against the baddest man on the planet, Mike Tyson. Thank you to Netflix for their vision and trust in MVP to put on this historic event.”
Mike Tyson has issued a warning to Jake Paul ahead of their July 20 showdown at the AT&T Stadium.
Mike Tyson has issued a frightening warning to Jake Paul ahead of their fight on July 20.
Tyson is returning to the ring for what could be his first professional fight since 2005.
The Baddest Man on the Planet will take on 9-1 Paul in a heavyweight encounter at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, live on Netflix.
The 57-year-old’s last foray into the squared circle was an exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr in 2020, with Paul making his debut on the undercard.
He remains in top shape four years on and has been looking sharp in training footage.
And over on SnapChat, Tyson has sent another message to his upcoming opponent.
There was a close-up image of him with sweat all over his face, with the words, “Everyone has a plan ’till they” – the start of the Tyson’s memorable phrase about strategy going out of the window when punched square in the face.
Image: Mike Tyson
Secondly, Tyson shared another picture of him hitting the pads – with the caption: “All eyes on me”.
Image: Mike Tyson
Tyson’s coach Rafael Cordeiro believes the fight will be “technical” as opposed to a “massacre” and that Paul will feel Iron Mike’s “heavy hands”.
“This fight won’t be a massacre, it’s going to be a very technical match, because we have a kid on the other side that can box and isn’t afraid,” Cordeiro said in an interview with MMA Fighting.
“Mike has such heavy hands, and it will be impossible not to touch Jake. Jake will feel Mike’s hands, there’s no other way, and that’s when we’ll have an idea on how the fight will go. It’s going to be interesting to see.
“Panic – he [Paul] will panic. “That’s the goal. Our goal is to keep Jake in panic the entire fight. Or for as long as he can take it.”
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations will determine whether his encounter with Paul is official, while Tyson is required to undergo a brain test for the bout to take place.
Jake Paul has fired back with a warning to Mike Tyson ahead of their fight on July 20.
Jake Paul has sent a chilling warning to Mike Tyson and made a huge threat for the July 20 clash.
The pair are squaring off in a huge heavyweight bout at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with the whole event being shown live on Netflix.
For Tyson it will be his first fight since his 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr, though it could well be his first professional encounter in 19 years if approval is given by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.
9-1 Paul is stepping into the ring with one of the boxing greats but the Problem Child is still in a confident mood.
He’s been hyping up the fight on social media and made a brave taunt to Tyson on Instagram.
The YouTuber-turner-boxer showed off training footage but it was the caption on Instagram where the damage was done.
Paul wrote: “I’m gonna bite your ear off Mikey,” – clearly referencing Tyson’s infamous bite on Evander Holyfield in 1997.
It followed on from Paul doing a ear-biting skit and even recreating Tyson’s iconic picture with his tiger.
Tyson has been putting out content of his own, however and over on SnapChat, posted a picture of him getting put through his paces with the caption: “Everyone has a plan ’till they…” – a nod to one of his most memorable quotes about getting punched in the face.
He also shared a snap of him hitting the pads with trainer Rafael Cordeiro, with the text: “All eyes on me”.
Cordeiro has predicted that Paul will feel Tyson’s “heavy hands” but the 27-year-old sounds like he welcomes it.
Image: Getty
“Mike, I really want to see, bro,” Paul said on his BS podcast.
“Let’s see all the legends, the myths because you’re Iron Mike Tyson, but I have an iron chin, people know that. I take shots.
“I think people are underestimating me being able to deal with his power, and that’s something that’s going to make it interesting.
“I am biting off a lot. This is definitely the toughest, most savage, lethal opponent regardless of age because power is the last thing to go.”
.png)
