Yes, this is happening: Jake Paul to fight Mike Tyson on Netflix
Yes, this is happening: Jake Paul to fight Mike Tyson on Netflix
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Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have appeared together on the same boxing card. They will do so again, but this time they will be fighting each other in what will surely be a polarizing spectacle.
Paul and Tyson will meet in a boxing match on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with the event to be streamed on Netflix as it continues to warm to showing live sports, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix announced on Thursday.
Paul fought last Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and scored a first-round knockout of Ryan Bourland in what was a second developmental fight in a row for Paul after having faced mostly big-name MMA fighters crossing over to boxing. After Paul’s KO he gave no hint of what was to come.
But now the 27-year-old YouTube and social media personality turned cruiserweight boxer will face the long-retired 57-year-old former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson, the most iconic fighter in the history of the sport not named Muhammad Ali.
The number of rounds the fight is scheduled for was not announced, nor if there would be any rules changes from a standard boxing match. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation official told Fight Freaks Unite that MVP has put in an official date request to hold the event, but it had not yet informed the department of the specific bout. It remains to be seen if Tyson, who has been retired for nearly 20 years, would be granted a boxing license at his age to fight a man 30 years younger.
It will also mark streaming behemoth Netflix’s fist involvement in boxing and third live sports event overall. The streamer also featured Paul in an episode of “Untold” last year.
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It was in November 2020, during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, that Paul, in his second professional fight, scored a blistering second-round knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson that went vital at what was then-Staples Center in Los Angels with no fans in attendance because of Covid-19. In the main event of the pay-per-view event that night, Tyson boxed an eight-round exhibition against fellow retired legend and Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr.
Now, Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) and Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) will swap punches in the eighth boxing event to take place at the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. 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,” Paul said. “Within just 2½ of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the U.S., broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world — a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time.
“I could not be more excited to make this amazing fight available to all Netflix subscribers alongside the hardest hitter of all time, Mike Tyson. My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. This will be the fight of a lifetime.”
Tyson was 20 when he became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986 and has fought in some of the biggest fights of all time. After losing three of four fights by knockout, he retired after a sixth-round stoppage to journeyman Kevin McBride in June 2005, although he has taken part in two exhibitions since.
“I'm very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul,” Tyson said. “He's grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a kid can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT. 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.”
Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s partner in founding MVP in 2021, has spearheaded the company business and had discussions with Netflix about a boxing event last fall. Now it is coming to fruition.
“Jake Paul versus 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,” Bidarian said. “Partnering with Netflix for this deal presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson to the world on an unprecedented scale and we look forward to delivering this incredible clash of two of sports biggest names. Six generations of boxing fans will have a stake in the outcome and will be able to watch an anti-hero, Jake Paul, put it all on the line against the baddest man on the planet, Mike Tyson. Thank you to Netflix for their vision and trust in MVP to put on this historic event.”
Said Gabe Spitzer, Netflix vice president of nonfiction sports: “Mike Tyson is one of the biggest icons in boxing history and Jake Paul is one of the biggest disruptors in boxing history. Saturday, July 20 will be pure drama in the ring in Texas. We are thrilled to partner with Most Valuable Promotions for this historic event and we can't wait for these two to face off for fans all across the world on Netflix.”
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Grifters gonna grift.
Total mockery of the sport of boxing. When, pray tell, will Jake Paul go against someone other than old retired fighters and uber-drivers