Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul on July 20 will be a professional boxing fight sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, the promotion announced Monday. The heavyweight bout, to be shown live on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will take place over eight, two-minute rounds using 14-ounce gloves.
The result will affect their professional records.
“Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement. “Over the past six weeks MVP has worked with its partners to satisfy the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) to sanction Paul vs. Tyson and we are grateful that we have gotten to this point.”
Tyson, 57, is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Once known as “The Baddest Man on the Planet” for his intimidating demeanor and ferocious knockout power, Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
Tyson (50-6 with 44 knockouts) has not fought since losing to Kevin McBride in June 2005. He will be 58 by the time he enters the ring, making him 31 years older than the 27-year-old Paul. It is the biggest gap in boxing history.
Paul (9-1), a social media star, made his professional boxing debut in 2020. He has since gone on to defeat the likes of former MMA stars Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz. His lone loss came to boxer Tommy Fury in February 2023.
“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 said in a statement when the fight was announced in March. “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.”
The bout was dubbed a “boxing mega-event” by Netflix, which has expanded its live sports offerings in recent years.
Netflix has multiple sports documentary series including “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” “NASCAR: Full Speed,” “Tour de France: Unchained,” “Break Point” and “Full Swing.” The streaming company also broadcast the Netflix Cup — a golf tournament that paired Formula 1 drivers with PGA players — and a tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
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