Mike Tyson is set for his first sanctioned fight since 2005 as the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion takes on much younger YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Texas.
The eight-round bout Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys will be streamed on Netflix, which has more than 280 million subscribers globally.
Texas regulators sanctioned the bout with limited rounds at just two minutes per round. Tyson and the 27-year-old Paul also will use heavier gloves, which in theory limits the power of punches.
Tyson retired with a 50-6 record and 44 knockouts after losing to Kevin McBride 19 years ago. Paul debuted as a pro boxer about four years ago and is 10-1 with seven knockouts fighting mostly mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.
The fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.
Tyson said his entertaining exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. with no fans during the pandemic in 2020 made him believe he could fight for real again. He grew agitated with the hype as fight week progressed, slapping Paul to cut short the final faceoff at the weigh-in Thursday night.
According to reports, Paul is getting $40 million to $20 million for Tyson. Paul mentioned his number during a news conference promoting the fight in the summer. Tyson has a history of legal and financial troubles but has said he isn’t fighting Paul for the money.
The co-main event is for the undisputed women’s super lightweight championship as Ireland’s Katie Taylor takes on Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico.
It’s a rematch of a disputed split decision won by Taylor in a slugfest at sold-out Madison Square Garden two years ago. Taylor and Serrano were the first women to headline a boxing event at the storied venue.
