JAKE PAUL VS. MIKE TYSON
LIVE on Netflix
#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/WW6Wi3bKM9— Netflix (@netflix)
March 7, 2024
Jake
Paul has earned something that most men would not wish on their
worst enemies: a date with “Iron” Mike Tyson.
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On Thursday, news broke courtesy of the event’s broadcast partner,
Netflix,
that Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) would be boxing Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) on July
20. The two will headline an event put on by Paul’s Most Valuable
Promotions company, and it will take place in the AT&T Stadium
in Arlington, Texas. The broadcast will air free on Netflix, and it
will not be a pay-per-view. It is currently unclear whether the
heavyweight match will be an exhibition or end up on professional
records, but Tyson will be age 58 at the time of the bout. Early
betting lines opened with the younger Paul as the favorite, ranging
from -200 to -350, depending on the book.
“I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with
Jake
Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” Tyson said
in a statement released by the organization. “He’s grown
significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun
to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do [against] the
experience and aptitude of a GOAT. It’s a full circle moment that
will be beyond thrilling to watch; as I started him on his boxing
journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan
to finish him.”
“Iron Mike” had his last professional outing in 2005 against Kevin
McBride, where he quit on the stool at the end of the sixth round.
The former heavyweight great still holds the record as the youngest
heavyweight champion in boxing history, doing so at the age of 20.
He will be 30 years the elder of his opponent this July. Tyson last
set foot in the ring in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr.
in 2020, where the two fought to a split draw after eight rounds of
back-and-forth action.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for
knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul stated
on the release. “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…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.”
The Youtuber-turned-boxer has amassed nine wins as a professional
since he turned pro in 2020, and his ledger has been unique from a
boxing context. After stopping fellow social media influencer Ali
Eson Gib and ex-basketball player Nate Robinson, Paul battled
several stars from MMA. In a five-fight run, he beat Ben Askren,
Tyron
Woodley twice and the legendary Anderson
Silva. Paul went on to lose his first fight against Tommy Fury
in 2023, and bounced back with three victories over Nate Diaz and
boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland—the most recent win over
Bourland coming in March by first-round knockout.
You should be ashamed of yourself. And the
biggest joke is you don’t even slightly realize why. https://t.co/If8X3xuF52— michael (@bisping)
March 7, 2024
Public reaction to this announcement from the MMA and boxing
communities has been largely negative, with fighters and analysts
reacting adversely to the 27-year-old facing a retired boxer 30
years his senior. Of note, former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight
champ Michael
Bisping remarked on social media, “You should be ashamed of
yourself. And the biggest joke is you don’t even slightly realize
why.”