Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set to fight on Saturday, July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight will be the main event of a card that will stream live on Netflix.
Tyson, a legendary, former heavyweight boxing champion will enter the ring at the age of 58. Paul, an influencer and Youtuber turned boxer will only be 27 years old when the fight airs.
Due to Tyson’s heavy influence on pop culture for almost 40 years and Paul’s vast internet presence, all eyes will be on this matchup.
The teams surrounding both fighters recognize the buzz that the announcement of this fight is making and look to capitalize on that excitement and controversy in terms of ratings.
“Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once-in-a-lifetime dream matchup, and I anticipate it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” said Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, or MVP.
Many believe that the fight will not be competitive due to Tyson’s reputation as a fighter, with much of the sports world recognizing him as the greatest of all time, even though he is three decades older than Paul.
However, Paul, boasting a 9-1 record, has beaten former UFC stars such as Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, and in the time since these fights, has fought more seasoned boxers to gain experience and respect.
Paul actually got his start in boxing on the undercard of a Tyson match in 2020, where he fought and knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson.
“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,” Tyson said.
This will not be the first time a Paul has fought a legendary boxer. In May of 2021, his brother, Logan Paul, fought Floyd Mayweather, who went into the fight with a record of 50-0, with 27 of those wins coming by knockout. Paul would go the distance with Mayweather in their exhibition match.
As many people are expecting for Tyson in his fight, many expected Mayweather to wipe the floor with Paul, but the indecisive result at the end led to several claims that the fight was rigged for money and ratings. Some are carrying this same mentality into the Tyson v. Paul fight.
“Jake Paul will win in a unanimous decision fighting against an old Mike Tyson,” said Owen Faulk, a junior accounting major. “It’s paid off for Jake to win.”
Netflix likely hopes that Paul will last a long time in the ring with Tyson, as this card will be the streaming service’s first time airing combat sports and only its third time airing any live sporting event.
Landing an event with two names as big as Tyson and Paul is huge for the company as it looks to make a bigger push into live sports.
In the months approaching the matchup, tension and excitement will only increase, which should lead to a very entertaining fight for fans and plenty of viewers for Netflix.
