Culture Mike Tyson, 57, will return to ring against YouTuber turned fighter Jake Paul - Live on Netflix July 20

Former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson will return to the ring against YouTuber turned fighter Jake Paul as the thirst for crossover boxing matchups shows no sign of slowing.

The two are scheduled to face each other at the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, on 20 July. The fight will air live on Netflix, the streaming platform’s first broadcast of a combat sports event.

Paul is 30 years the junior of the 57-year-old Tyson, and the fight will be the subject of criticism from those who believe such fights degrade boxing’s standing. Few can deny they are lucrative though: Paul earned about $9m from a loss last year to the boxer and reality TV star Tommy Fury. July’s fight is likely to earn both men far more.

Paul rose to fame as a YouTube prankster but he has developed a lucrative career as a surprisingly competent, if limited, boxer. Before his loss to Fury, he had got off to a respectable start to his fighting career, compiling a 6-0 record, although some of his opponents were of debatable quality. Since then he has won his last three fights. Paul said he has further ambitions as he approaches his fight with 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,” he said. “This will be the fight of a lifetime.”

Tyson, perhaps unsurprisingly, talked up his opponent’s credentials.

“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,” he said. “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.”

The Texas department of licensing and regulation sanctions fights in the state and it is unclear how they will treat a bout involving a boxer who will be 58 by the time the contest comes around. It could go ahead as an exhibition or as an official professional fight.

At his peak, Tyson was the most destructive heavyweight champion of all time, known for his brutal knockout power. His last fight – an exhibition – came in a draw against another former world champion, Roy Jones Jr, in 2020. Paul fought on the undercard of that bout, knocking out the former NBA star Nate Robinson. Tyson’s last professional fight was in 2005, a loss to the Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.

Netflix has been moving into sports in the last few years, most notably with its successful F1 documentary series Drive to Survive. It has broadcast two live sporting events in recent months: the Netflix Slam, a match between Spanish tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal; and the Netflix Cup which featured golfers and F1 drivers competing against each other.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/07/mike-tyson-jake-paul-boxing-fight-netflix-date-cowboys (Archive)

 

[Bucephalus]

...that was it?

Tyson only landed 18 punches? Only threw 97?

He was holding back. Had to have been. All those times he was biting his gloves, he was keeping the devil from getting out. I'm glad Jake's alive, but what a let-down. I know Mike had more in him than whatever that was.

 

[el bandito loco]

yeah it was exactly as impressive as if i a 29 year old man beat the fuck out of my dad a 45 year old man.

 

[Karamanlis]

Tyson couldn't get in, gassed out and Paul punched his points in. But Tyson also ate some heavy shots, the man has a chin alright.

I think Paul could have knocked Tyson down, no problem. But Paul held back, because he had no desire to beat up on the senior citizen with bad knees. Helwani asked Paul during the post-fight interview if he tried to knock Tyson out, and Paul dodged the question. He didn't wanna say no, even though it was the truth, out of respect for Tyson.

 

[Dumbledore's Onlyfans]

yeah it was exactly as impressive as if i a 29 year old man beat the fuck out of my dad a 45 year old man.

That's what made it a shit fight though, Jake Paul just baaaarely beat him in spite of all his advantages. Decision fights are so unsatisfying.

 

[oh no its pipkun]

RIGGED ASS BS

I saw 10, 10! Chances for his signature uppercut.

i saw 4. jake stayed away for most of the rounds.

 

[Barry McKockner]

the servers faught harder

 

[kiwirevolving]

It is show fight, not real. It is frankly embarrassing for Jake to do this - to take on a guy in his late 50s and consider this anything other than a stupid match. I'd imagine the winner is already decided and this is just a real pathetic way to grift money.

But if the fight is real, I wish Tyson luck, all he needs is a good shot and he will flatten Jake. As for Jake, he is taking on a man in his late 50s, and almost any blow of real force will do 5 times or more the damage it would have done 20 years ago to Tyson.

This match is pathetic for so many reasons, none more so than Tyson at 50% of his peak would obliterate Jake in the opening round. Tyson was an extremely dangerous boxer.

This match was pathetic for both Tyson and Paul


Tyson because he went as low as to stage a fight where he loses against someone who isn't even a real boxer

Jake because he thinks he's some hot shit for "beating" someone old by paying him a bunch of money so that Jake can get some bragging rights

I know the state of boxing has been a joke for a while now where it's WWE tier: it's a show and not an actual fight

I'd kill myself in shame if I was Tyson right now though for making the boxing scene even less serious. Jake has always been a faggot even before he started boxing

 

[W00K #17]

Netflix was such shit I had to hit up a seven seas stream. Worked way better than shitflix, but even that was probably the worst quality pirated sports stream I've seen in years.

Almost glad, watched the fight on my phone with an old South Park playing on the TV, the background cartoon was way more entertaining than the actual fight.

Taylor vs Serrano was pretty damn good though, those bitches beat the shit out of each other.

 

[Eekum Bokum]

Why did anyone expect this to be good?

 

[Halo Cipher]

An embarrassment for both men.

 

[Get the rope Macaulay!]

...that was it?

Tyson only landed 18 punches? Only threw 97?

He was holding back. Had to have been. All those times he was biting his gloves, he was keeping the devil from getting out. I'm glad Jake's alive, but what a let-down. I know Mike had more in him than whatever that was.

but why? Mike would get more money just from people donating if he knocked Jake on his ass

i a 29 year old man beat the fuck out of my dad a 45 year old man.

 

[GPRIMACADO]

i saw 4. jake stayed away for most of the rounds.

I'll wait for the fight to become public, I'll highlight the areas. Still I know Tyson's fight style, it's jab into corner, body shots, left uppercut and the signature fake-out right to left uppercut.
I saw NONE of that.

 

[oh no its pipkun]

Why did anyone expect this to be good?

nostalgia and those iron mike training vids made tyson look pretty good.

I'll wait for the fight to become public, I'll highlight the areas. Still I know Tyson's fight style, it's jab into corner, body shots, left uppercut and the signature fake-out right to left uppercut.
I saw NONE of that.

honestly, the first round got me pumped since 58 yo mike was hopping around bobbing and weaving. it was all high energg. it set expectations that mike still had it. but then as the rounds came it became apparent he was old.

 

[Halo Cipher]

We have two options: either Jake Paul is a bloody buck broken ruin by the end of the match or this shit is fake and gay.

It was fake and gay.

 

[Alter Ego]

Almost entirely ignorant of Jake Paul, I didn't come into this with a loathing towards him as many people apparently have, but I am disappointed that he arranged for all of this when all that fight really did was show that an old man is old. While money was most certainly made, there's just no way that Jake looks good coming out of this, either as a boxer or a public figure in general. Logan is definitely the more impressive brother with his WWE work.

I'm inclined to suspect that Mike Tyson honestly did the best he could and just got gassed after a couple of rounds while Jake held back out of concern for Mike's health and image. Those who have insisted that Old Man Mike could beat up Jake are just delusional.

 

[Dumbledore's Onlyfans]

I'd kill myself in shame if I was Tyson right now though for making the boxing scene even less serious. Jake has always been a faggot even before he started boxing

He can wipe his tears of shame with the $20 million that Jake Paul is giving him. I can't really blame Tyson because his net worth was an estimated $10 million before the fight, so Jake Paul just tripled his wealth. He can easily live the rest of his life in luxury on that money if he doesn't waste it like last time.
Edit fkn auto correct

 

[X Prime]

I personally think this whole thing is kind of emblematic of the state of society in general.

It's just fake and gay, yet makes more money than the real shit from the past.

 

[Cat Funt]

Well that was sad and gay but I'm happy old mike earned 20m to piss away

 

[GPRIMACADO]

it set expectations that mike still had it. but then as the rounds came it became apparent he was old.

Age is the rule for many humans, but it can be a exception. I mean ffs, Robert F Kennedy Jr is 70 with post-brain parasites doing bench-presses at 115 pounds.



Hell even ex-military men can reject pain into rage.

 

[AN/ALR56]

Something i realized is that @Null could do a decent MATI stream about shit like this and i`d watch it tbh.