Jake Paul will fight Mike Tyson in Arlington, Texas on July 20.
Jake Paul has revealed the moment he stopped idolising Mike Tyson after an embarrassing mix-up from the heavyweight boxing legend.
Paul, 27, stunned the boxing world on Thursday by announcing that he will face Tyson, 57, in his next fight after extending his professional record to 9-1 with victory over Ryan Bourland earlier this month.
Paul and Tyson with face each other on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in what will be the main event of a card that will air on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.
It will be Tyson’s first fight since his draw with Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition boxing match in 2020.
His last professional bout came back in 2005 against Kevin McBridge, when he was stopped in two rounds.
The announcement of his return to the ring has divided opinion, with a number of high-profile pundits criticising Paul for his choice of opponent.
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UFC legend Michael Bisping has described Paul as a “laughing stock”, while Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn labelled the match-up “incredibly sad”.
Nevertheless, Paul has vowed to put Tyson “to sleep” when they meet in the ring this summer.
Taking to X, Paul says he viewed former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson as one of his biggest heroes up until meeting him in person.
“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,” wrote Paul.
Paul has also confirmed the fight won’t be a regular pay-per-view event and will be available to all Netflix subscribers without an additional fee.
It will be the streaming giant’s first live combat sports broadcast and only its third live sporting event overall.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Paul’s promotional company Most Valuable Promotions, believes the event has the potential to break all-time boxing records.
“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,” Bidarian said.
