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Matt Verri
·4 min read
Mike Tyson will be back in the boxing ring when he fights Jake Paul in a shock crossover bout.
Tyson has not fought professionally since he was beaten by Kevin McBride in 2005 and it is four years since his last exhibition against Roy Jones Jr.
There was huge surprise, therefore, when it was announced Tyson would be taking on Paul in July, at which point he will be 58, at the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Tyson has announced he is to stop filming his Hotboxin’ podcast as he prepares for the fight, while Paul this week said he is “too sharp and fast” to get hurt by ‘Iron Mike’.Paul knocked out former basketball player Nate Robinson on the undercard of Tyson’s exhibition with Jones, and is now 9-1 as a professional. That sole defeat was against Tommy Fury, with the wins coming largely against former MMA stars and little-known boxers.
The fight will be promoted by Paul’s company Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), with this the latest step on a boxing journey he continues to claim will end with him becoming world champion.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons,” said Paul.
“My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. This will be the fight of a lifetime.”
(X/@jakepaul)
Paul vs Tyson date, start time, venue and ring walks
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
No timings for the card have yet been confirmed, but Arlington is five hours behind UK time and so the main event is likely to be at approximately 4am GMT in the early hours of Sunday morning.
How to watch Paul vs Tyson
The bout will be screened live on Netflix, with this the platform’s first move into live boxing.
There has been a shifts towards sporting action in recent months, with The Netflix Cup held in November as a crossover between golf and Formula One stars. Carlos Alcaraz faced Rafael Nadal in The Netflix Slam earlier this month, an exhibition tennis match that took place in Las Vegas.
Paul vs Tyson rules
It remains to be seen whether the bout is an exhibition or sanctioned as a professional contest.
While Derek Chisora has claimed the two fighters will wear headguards and 18lbs gloves, Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian dismissed that suggestion.
“Unequivocally there is no headgear for Paul vs Tyson,” he posted on social media. “Haters spreading fake news, but it won’t stop the tens of millions of views.”
Details on the number and length of rounds have not been released, but Tyson’s exhibition with Roy Jones Jr had eight two-minute rounds.
Reports suggest the fighters are keen for it to be a professional bout, but a decision has not been made by the Texas commission.
(Getty Images for Triller)
Paul vs Tyson fight card/undercard in full
Fights on the undercard of Paul vs Tyson will be announced in the coming weeks.
Paul vs Tyson purse
UFC legend Henry Cejudo is a close friend of Tyson, with the pair previously hosting a podcast today, and he recently suggested that 57-year-old is set to take home in the region of $20m for fighting Paul.
“I mean, you know what I respect, Uncle Mike… but it obviously takes two to tango,” Cejudo said.
“I feel like there is probably a really good payday for Mike. He’s probably going to wind up making close to about $20mi and he’s about to turn 58 years old. Literally, Jake is 27 and Mike is 57.
“I don’t like it but I was with Mike when he was getting ready for his Roy Jones Jr. fight. This dude is disciplined, he gets moody when he’s in fight camp and doesn’t smoke as much. He runs every day at 5’o’clock in the morning. If there’s anybody super ferocious who can potentially put this dude out, it is Mike.”
It is unclear how much Paul will make, but he claimed to have earned $30m when losing to Tommy Fury last year.
Paul vs Tyson betting odds
Paul to win: 10/11
Tyson to win: 6/5
Draw: 6/1
Odds via Sky Bet (subject to change).
