Mike Tyson is going to get back in the ring. At 58 years old, the boxing legend, youngest heavyweight world champion at the age of 20, will put on the gloves again, on the night of Friday November 15 to Saturday November 16 (around two in the morning), in Arlington, Texas. It will be against Jake Paul, an opponent who made himself known on Youtube, launched into a boxing career since 2020, in an eight-round, two-minute fight and recognized professional. Here's what you need to know about this fight for prestige… But also for money.
A “40 million dollar” duel broadcast on Netflix
Unlike the majority of current major events, which are on the pay-per-view model, this fight will be broadcast on the Netflix platform, which has ensured exclusive broadcasting, to which it has added a series called Countdown: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson on the preparation of the two fighters. If the exact income that the two boxers will receive has not been revealed, Jake Paul partly spilled the beans during the pre-fight press conference. “I'm here to win 40 million and eliminate a legend”released the 29-year-old boxer, who has 10 victories (including seven by KO) for one defeat in his young career.
A jackpot which undoubtedly pushed Mike Tyson, who declared himself bankrupt in 2003 and experienced many setbacks such as accusations of rape, to put on the gloves again, even if he denies it. “If I did it for free, it wouldn't change my life. My wife constantly tells me I don't need to beat him. But this is what I want to do, this is me. I'm looking for fame”the multiple world heavyweight champion in the late 1980s told TheSportBible.
A slap to increase the tension and the show
The last face to face between the two men, during the official weigh-in before the fight, ended with a slap from Mike Tyson against his youngest son on Thursday. Beforehand, on images of the clash, we can see that Jake Paul, after advancing towards him on all fours, steps on the tip of the former champion's right foot, causing his angry reaction. A crowd of security members immediately intervened to separate the two fighters, before “Iron Mike” was expelled.
“I didn't even feel it, he's angryreacted Jake Paul. He’s an angry little pixie…lovely slap buddy.” An image obviously relayed by Netflix so that the show keeps its promises….
A first professional fight for Tyson in 19 years
June 11, 2005 was the date of Mike Tyson's last professional fight, who left the ring with a defeat against Kevin McBride. At 38 years old, no longer as scary, “Iron Mike” had suffered a third defeat in his last four fights, deciding to hang it up.
In 2020, Mike Tyson returned to the ring against Roy Jones Jr in a charity exhibition meeting which ended in a draw. At 58 years old, the gap in age, speed and endurance between the two opponents legitimately raises questions, even if Tyson went to the end of the fight in 2020 in an identical format.
The boxer with 50 victories (including 44 by KO) and six defeats has trained considerably, and seems in an interesting condition, as evidenced by his training videos, where his punching speed, at almost 60 years old, still gives results. sweats to his coaches. It remains to be seen how long “Kid Dynamite” can last against a boxer 31 years his junior.
Jake Paul, a controversial YouTuber turned boxer
In the other corner of the ring, his opponent can already rejoice that such a name agrees to face him, even though he does not have five years of experience in the Noble art. Known on the social network Vine (since defunct) in 2013, Jake Paul then branched off onto YouTube with his big brother Logan, with whom he appeared in pranks and controversial videos.
Nicknamed “The Enfant terrible of boxing”, the YouTuber with 20 million subscribers remains known more for his controversies, such as a party in the middle of Covid-19 or accusations of sexual assault, than for his exploits.
With a record of 10 victories and a defeat on points against Tyson Fury's half-brother, Tommy, in 2023, he has mainly fought retired former MMA glories or second-tier boxers, or even downright celebrities, like former NBA player Nate Robinson. The former world champion Carl Froch estimates to the British media Metro that the fight would even be “set in advance” in favor of the youngest.
A clash postponed several times
Originally, Mike Tyson was to face… Jake's brother, Logan Paul, also converted to combat sports. But the eldest of the siblings refused, preferring to leave the field open to his younger brother. “I said no to a fight against Mike Tyson. I was offered it, but not on Netflix, and not for a lot of money”he justified in his podcast.
Initially scheduled for July 20, the fight was postponed for almost four months due to Mike Tyson's health problems. In May, the former star had to take medical treatment following an ulcer outbreak on a plane.
While several observers, such as former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, fear significant damage for Mike Tyson, the boxing regulatory authority in Texas has decided to relax the rules of the fight. The gloves of the two athletes will be thicker, the rounds shorter (two minutes instead of three) and the match limited to eight rounds (instead of the usual twelve for heavyweights).
