Posted on 03/07/2024
By: Sean Crose
Incredible though it may seem, social media star turned professional boxer Jake Paul is going to take on the legendary, 50+ year old Mike Tyson this July 20th. The bout will be broadcast live on Netflix and will go down at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. “Promotion promotion promotion,” Paul stated on social media Thursday morning, “if I’m being honest it don’t need that.. The biggest fight of the 21st century, in the biggest NFL stadium in the US, broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world…that’s the MVP way. Whether you’re tuning in on Netflix or showing out in person, whether you’re team Paul or team Tyson, or whether you’re a lifelong boxing fan or watching your first fight, you’re not going to want to miss this event.”
The fighter known as “The Problem Child” then went on to explain what a thrill it will be to face the legendary former heavyweight champion. “I could not be more excited,” Paul continued, “to make this amazing fight available to all Netflix subscribers alongside the hardest hitter of all time, Mike Tyson, on Saturday, July 20th. My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion of the world, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. Time to put Iron Mike to sleep.”
Tyson took to social media about the fight, as well, though in typical subdued Tyson fashion. ‘We signed the contract,” he stated matter of factly. Paul boasts a 9-1 record as a professional fighter while the now 57 year old Tyson posted a resume of 44-6-2. Don’t be fooled by the numbers, though. Tyson was one of the most dominant fighters in the history of the sport, one who transcended boxing itself. A destructive aggressor with enormously underrated defensive skills, the New York native sits alongside the likes of Sonny Liston and Jack Dempsey as having been one of the most feared men to ever step inside the ring.
Can Tyson show even a spark of his former self at his age, however? That question is the draw of what will clearly be an enormous novelty bout, perhaps the biggest novelty bout since the legendary Floyd Mayweather faced UFC great Conor McGregor in the ring back in 2017.