Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson set for July 20 on Netflix،
Jake Paul rose to fame in combat sports when he knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson's exhibition boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.
Now, Paul, the YouTuber turned fighter, and Tyson, the former heavyweight boxing champion, will meet again – as opponents – in what will be the most polarizing spectacle of the recent crossover boxing craze.
Tyson will face Paul in a boxing match July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the main event of a card that will air on Netflix, officials told ESPN. This will be the streaming company's first foray into combat sports and its third live sporting event overall. Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) signed a deal with Netflix for a boxing card last November 1, according to Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP.
“Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a unique dream match and I anticipate it will be the most watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” Bidarian said in a statement.
It's unclear how the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which sanctions and regulates combat sports in the state, will approach what is sure to be a clash that will draw widespread criticism and attention. It remains to be determined whether it will be classified as a professional or exhibition fight.
Tyson is one of the greatest – and most formidable – heavyweight boxers of all time. But he will be 58 years old at the time of the fight. Paul, at 27, is three decades her junior.
Tyson was in good shape when he fought Jones to a draw in an exhibition boxing match on November 28, 2020, and he looked good during training in social media videos. Tyson hasn't had a professional fight since 2005 and was stopped twice in a row before hanging up his gloves. The New York-born boxer was the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
“[Paul has] “I have grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be great fun to see what the drive and ambition of a “kid” can do with the experience and skills of a GOAT,” Tyson said in a statement. “It’s a complete moment that will be beyond exciting to watch, as I kicked him off on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to to end. “
Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) went on to beat former UFC stars such as Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley following Robinson's knockout in big-money main events. The Cleveland fighter has since turned his attention to fighting boxers who have more experience than him to gain experience with an eye toward one day competing for a world championship. Paul, who only turned professional four years ago, is coming off back-to-back first-round knockouts against journeymen Andre August and Ryan Bourland.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second professional fight I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul said in a statement. “Now, less than four years later, I stand up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing's most notorious fighters and greatest icons. just two and a half years after the creation of MVP, we are about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the largest NFL stadium in the United States, broadcast live on the biggest platform streaming service in the world – a testament to how much we've accomplished in such a short time.
Paul featured in an episode of the Netflix series “Untold” last year. Netflix, which is aggressively moving into live sports, has streamed the Netflix Cup, a competition between Formula One drivers and golfers, and the Netflix Slam, a tennis match, over the past four months.
“Mike Tyson is one of the greatest icons in boxing history and Jake Paul is one of the greatest disruptors in boxing history,” said Gabe Spitzer, Netflix vice president of non-fiction sports, in a press release. “Saturday, July 20 will be pure in-ring drama in Texas. We are thrilled to partner with Most Valuable Promotions for this historic event and can't wait for these two to face off for fans around the world on Netflix. “
