Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Boxing Match Booked for Netflix Card in Dallas on July 20

JAKE PAUL VS. MIKE TYSON

LIVE on Netflix #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/WW6Wi3bKM9

— Netflix (@netflix) March 7, 2024

Jake Paul has earned something that most men would not wish on their worst enemies: a date with "Iron" Mike Tyson.

On Thursday, news broke courtesy of the event’s broadcast partner, Netflix, that Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) would be boxing Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) on July 20. The two will headline an event put on by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions company, and it will take place in the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The broadcast will air free on Netflix, and it will not be a pay-per-view. It is currently unclear whether the heavyweight match will be an exhibition or end up on professional records, but Tyson will be age 58 at the time of the bout. Early betting lines opened with the younger Paul as the favorite, ranging from -200 to -350, depending on the book.

“I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” Tyson said in a statement released by the organization. “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 [against] 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.”

“Iron Mike” had his last professional outing in 2005 against Kevin McBride, where he quit on the stool at the end of the sixth round. The former heavyweight great still holds the record as the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, doing so at the age of 20. He will be 30 years the elder of his opponent this July. Tyson last set foot in the ring in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, where the two fought to a split draw after eight rounds of back-and-forth action.

“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul stated on the release. “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…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.”

The Youtuber-turned-boxer has amassed nine wins as a professional since he turned pro in 2020, and his ledger has been unique from a boxing context. After stopping fellow social media influencer Ali Eson Gib and ex-basketball player Nate Robinson, Paul battled several stars from MMA. In a five-fight run, he beat Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley twice and the legendary Anderson Silva. Paul went on to lose his first fight against Tommy Fury in 2023, and bounced back with three victories over Nate Diaz and boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland—the most recent win over Bourland coming in March by first-round knockout.

You should be ashamed of yourself. And the biggest joke is you don’t even slightly realize why. https://t.co/If8X3xuF52

— michael (@bisping) March 7, 2024

Public reaction to this announcement from the MMA and boxing communities has been largely negative, with fighters and analysts reacting adversely to the 27-year-old facing a retired boxer 30 years his senior. Of note, former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ Michael Bisping remarked on social media, “You should be ashamed of yourself. And the biggest joke is you don’t even slightly realize why.”