The much-anticipated fight between YouTube star Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is still months away at this point. However, this will not be your average, ordinary, every day fight. After all, there’s a 30-year age gap between the fighters and one of them hasn’t boxed in nearly two decades.
There were rumors early on that the fight would give heavy advantages to Paul, who has still only participated in 10 fights in his career (albeit, he’s 9-1 with six KOs). Those advantages have not been confirmed though, with some being flat out denied. Regardless, as it stands, what do experts believe will happen in the fight? Will “Iron Mike” be able to turn back the clock and show us what made him the most feared man in boxing three decades ago?
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Here is everything we know about the upcoming fight between Paul and Tyson.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson:Preliminary odds and what to know ahead of Netflix boxing match
When is the Paul-Tyson bout?
The fight is slated for Saturday, July 20, 2024. The fight will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, TX. It will be available for streaming on Netflix.
When was the last time Paul and Tyson fought?
Paul’s last fight was a TKO victory over Ryan Bourland on March 2, 2024. It was Paul’s third win in a row, with his only career loss coming via split decision against Tommy Fury on February 26, 2023. Paul has previously fought as a cruiserweight for most of his fighting career. He will look to gain weight to classify as a heavyweight for the fight against Tyson.
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Mike Tyson, who will be 58 years old at the time of the fight, has not fought professionally since 2005, where he lost in the sixth round via corner retirement to Kevin McBride. Tyson did participate in an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. on November 28, 2020. The upcoming fight against Paul has yet to be classified as an exhibition or pro match yet.
What will the rules for the fight be?
Though early rumors indicated that both Paul and Tyson would wear headgear for the fight, those rumors have since been contested by Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian.
“Unequivocally there is no headgear for Paul vs Tyson,” Bidarianwrote on Instagram. He continued. “Haters spreading fake news but it won’t stop the 10’s of millions of views.”
There were also rumors that Paul and Tyson would be using bigger gloves (18 ounces) in order to help prevent serious injury from either fighter. Those rumors have been neither confirmed nor dispelled.
Reports indicate that both Paul and Tyson want the fight to be an official professional bout, but that decision must be made by the Texas commission. As of March 19, no decision has been made.
Will there be other fights prior to the main event?
No other fights have been announced. If any other fights will join the undercard, they will be announced in the coming weeks.
Predictions:
Joe Rogan: Mike Tyson wins
During an episode of his podcast, Rogan, said regarding the Paul-Tyson fight “I don’t give a f**k if he’s 55, that’s still Mike Tyson. He trains with Rafael Cordeiro, who’s a legend in MMA. He runs Kings Mixed Martial Arts. Rafael is a world-renowned trainer. When you see him holding the mits for Tyson and Tyson is smashing the mits. Jesus! That guy can still f*** you up.”
Amir Khan: Mike Tyson by knockout
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The former world champion Khan said last week, “Is it just hype with Mike and Jake posting it at the same? This is unreal and I hope that Mike doesn’t end up hurting him because at the end of the day, I like Jake, but Mike is not a person you want to mess with or do an exhibition with, especially when you’re a lot smaller and lighter.”
Paul isn’t smaller than Tyson though. Sure, he was lighter in his last fight, but Paul has the height and reach on Tyson, so perhaps Paul has a better chance than Khan is giving him credit.
