Mike Tyson is set for his first sanctioned fight since 2005 as the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion takes on much younger YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Texas.
But what exactly do Tyson, 58, and Paul, 27, stand to make from the match, and what have they said leading up to it?
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
The eight-round bout Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys will be streamed on Netflix, which has more than 280 million subscribers globally. Live, it will be in front of a crowd of at least 60,000.
Texas regulators sanctioned the bout with limited rounds at just two minutes per round. Tyson and Paul also will use heavier gloves, which in theory limits the power of punches.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Tyson retired with a 50-6 record and 44 knockouts after losing to Kevin McBride 19 years ago. Paul debuted as a pro boxer about four years ago and is 10-1 with seven knockouts fighting mostly mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.
The fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight. In a documentary chronicling the preparations for the fight, Tyson said he lost 26 pounds in the process of recovering.
Tyson said his entertaining exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. with no fans during the pandemic in 2020 made him believe he could fight for real again. As fight week hype progressed for the bout against Paul, Tyson grew agitated.
Sports
News, videos, and rumors on the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Bruins, powered by NBC Sports Boston.
During a press conference Wednesday, before the fight, Tyson had terse answers for all the questions asked about the fight asked Paul.
“I’ve said everything I had to say,” Tyson said in one of several attempts to get him to say more during a press conference Wednesday. “I’m just looking forward to fighting.”
“It’s cute,” Paul said, of Tyson's attitude. “I fear no man, so I want him to be that old savage Mike.”
Paul couldn’t even get Tyson to respond by wearing what the YouTuber said was a “diamond-spiked ear cover,” a jab at Tyson over the Hall of Famer infamously biting the ear of Evander Holyfield in a 1997 fight.
Tyson did however get briefly riled up when somebody asked twice what he would do if he lost. His last sanctioned bout was in 2005.
“I am not going to lose,” Tyson said, his voice rising the second time it was asked. “Did you hear what I said?”
On Thursday, Tyson slapped Paul during their final weigh in after Paul bear-crawled up to approach him.
"I didn't even feel it," Paul said afterward. "He's angry. He's an angry little elf. Mike Tyson, I thought that was the cutest slap, buddy. But tomorrow you're getting knocked the f--- out."
In recent months when the two appeared together to promote the event, Paul tried to explain the boisterous boos that had greeted him. “I think they’re beloved fans of Mike Tyson,” Paul said. “And I’m the new kid on the block, the disrupter, loud mouth, polarizing figure,” Paul said. “And I’ve built my career as the heel. Naturally people want to root against me, and that’s great for the sport of boxing."
What is Jake Paul's boxing record?
Paul is relatively new to the sport. The one-time social media influencer brings a 10-1 record with seven knockouts mostly against mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.
During their final weigh in, Paul weighed in at 227 pounds.
What is Mike Tyson's boxing record?
Tyson was 50-6 with 44 knockouts when he retired after losing to Kevin McBride in 2005, saying he didn’t have anything left to give the sport. He last fought in an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. with no fans during the pandemic in 2020.
How much do Tyson, Paul stand to make from the match?
According to reports, Paul will get $40 million for the fight, a number he mentioned at another news conference in New York in August.
Tyson, who had two stints in prison over convictions in the 1990s for rape and assault and declared bankruptcy 21 years ago, will get $20 million. Tyson has said he isn't doing the fight for money.
"That old Mike Tyson ... he doesn’t have no more purpose in my life. He just doesn't exist,” Tyson said. “I’m having a good time in my life. I don’t have much time left, so I’m having the best time of my life.”
When is the Tyson-Paul fight?
The fight takes place Friday, Nov. 15.
What time is the Tyson-Paul fight?
It’s hard to give an exact time for the main event Friday night, but it could approach 11 p.m. CST or midnight EST. The telecast starts at 7 p.m. CST, 8 p.m. EST.
How old is Mike Tyson? How old is Jake Paul?
Mike Tyson is 58 years old. Jake Paul is 27. That's an age difference of 31 years.
Tyson was 50-6 with 44 knockouts before retiring 19 years ago. Paul is 10-1 with seven knockouts in less than five years as a pro, facing mostly mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.
How, where to watch the Tyson-Paul fight
The fight will stream on Netflix.
While this isn’t the more common, and more expensive, pay-per-view format followed by most major boxing events, it does require a Netflix subscription. Netflix reported more than 280 million subscribers worldwide at the end of the third quarter in 2024.
Netflix will broadcast the bout in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German.
A crowd of at least 60,000 is expected.
How much are tickets to the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight?
Compiling data from TicketMaster, SeatGeek and StubHub, upper-level seats are ranging from between $57 to $70 as of Thursday.
Mid-level seats range from $117 to $185, while most lower-level options are $200 and up.
Floor seats close to the ring are going as low as $666, while the most expensive options up close and personal are as high as $50,000.
