On Jan. 17, 1997, Jake Paul was born in Cleveland. Six months later, then-31-year-old Mike Tyson fought Evander Holyfield in Nevada in an event that grossed $100 million.
On July 20, 2024, a 27-year-old Paul will fight a 58-year-old Tyson in a boxing match on Netflix. Anyone with a Netflix account can watch the shocking fight for no additional cost.
Regulated sportsbooks haven’t yet posted odds for the fight, and it’s unclear which ones will. Typically, bets can be offered for official, sanctioned fights—not exhibitions.
Bovada, an offshore, unregulated betting site that is not legal to use in the U.S., listed Paul as a -500 favorite, with +325 for Tyson. However, a day after the fight was announced, Bovada had Paul as a -225 favorite, with Tyson at +170. Apparently the sportsbook saw a lot of initial betting interest on Tyson.
If regulated sportsbooks offer bets, their odds will likely be similar.
Even if the bout is sanctioned, some betting states won’t allow sportsbooks to offer bets
Paul versus Tyson will occur at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which seats over 80,000.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Preview
Paul is 9-1 in his boxing career, with his lone loss coming to Tommy Fury in February 2023. He won his last two fights via knockout and has beaten former UFC stars Nate DiazAnderson Silva and Tyron Woodley.
Paul’s second professional fight came in 2020 when he defeated former NBA player Nate Robinson on the undercard for Tyson’s fight with Roy Jones Jr.
“We’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the U.S., broadcast live on the biggest streaming platform in the world—a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time,” Paul said in a statement.
When Tyson was in his prime, he was boxing’s best heavyweight and one of the most feared fighters in the world. However, he hasn’t had a professional fight since 2005 and is about 30 years older than Paul. It’s unclear whether this fight will be a professional contest or an exhibition.
Tyson’s fight against Roy Jones Jr. finished in a split draw, and he hasn’t fought since.
“It’s a full-circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch, as I started (Paul) on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to finish him,” Tyson said in a statement.
It’s neither fighter’s first time working with Netflix. Paul was the subject of Netflix’s Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child, while Tyson contributed to the company’s Battle of the Baddestwhich told the story of Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s heavyweight fight in 2023.
Still, this is uncharted territory for both men.
Tyson is one of boxing’s GOATs, but he’s almost 60 and taking a fight at this age is dangerous. There’s no denying that Paul has grown as a fighter, but this could be the highest stakes yet for one of his fights.
A loss to Tyson would severely derail Paul’s momentum.
Is Mike Tyson Really Going to Fight Jake Paul?
Yes. While this may seem like a fever dream, it’s reality. The two are scheduled to fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 20. This will be Tyson’s first fight since he fought Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020 in an exhibition.
Tyson hasn’t fought in an official fight since he lost to Kevin McBride in 2005. He lost three of his last four fights before retiring.
Who is Favored to Win in Jake Paul Versus Mike Tyson?
While sports betting odds aren’t available from licensed sportsbookssome offshore sportsbooks have posted odds for the fight. Bovada, one such unregulated, offshore sportsbook, has Paul as a -225 favorite, with Tyson a +170 underdog.
In the 24 hours since the odds posted, they’ve shifted in Tyson’s direction, as Paul opened as a -500 favorite.
Paul was a heavy favorite in his last fight against UFC star Nate Diaz, with some sportsbooks listing him at -500 before the contest.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Texas on Paul Versus Tyson?
No, sports betting is not legal in Texas, and it’ll be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out ahead of the fight on both a micro and macro level.
On the macro, bettors will only be allowed to bet on the fight on a legal sportsbook if the fight is classified as a pro fight. If it stays as an exhibition, sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings might not be able to post markets for it.
On the micro, it’ll be interesting to see how the fight is promoted without that gambling hook. Boxing and sports betting have been intertwined from day one, so it’ll be odd to see the fight promoted without gambling.
And with sports betting not legal in Texas, there won’t be as many ads for gambling companies as there would be for a fight in a state where sports betting is legal.
That said, Paul co-founded his own sports betting company in Betr, so we’ll likely see some advertising for them.
How Much is the Tyson-Paul Fight?
Mike Tyson’s boxing match against Jake Paul will be available to all Netflix subscribers. If you have a Netflix account, you won’t need to worry about paying extra.
Subscriptions are available for as low as $6.99 for anyone interested in signing up.
However, it’s unclear what tier subscription is required to watch the fight.
What is Mike Tyson’s Record?
Mike Tyson has a career record of 56-6 (44 KOs), one of the best in the sport’s history.
The “baddest man on the planet” became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title when he defeated Trevor Berbick on Nov. 22, 1986.
He was the sport’s undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990 and won his first 19 professional fights. He spent three years in jail for a rape conviction in the mid-1990s but regained his title, becoming the sixth man to regain a heavyweight title after losing it.
He sputtered at the end of his career, however, as he lost to Evander Holyfield twice in the late 90s (with the second defeat being the time Tyson bit his ear) before officially losing his title via knockout to Lennox Lewis in 2002.
What Weight Division is the Tyson-Paul Fight?
The weight class for the fight hasn’t been announced, but it’ll likely be heavyweight. Tyson fought as a heavyweight for his entire career, while Paul has fought at cruiserweight (light heavyweight).
Paul weighed 199.8 pounds in his last fight, while Tyson weighed 220.4 versus Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.
On March 7, Paul posted on X saying that he’d fight at heavyweight while also saying that a four-year-old video of Tyson was from two weeks ago. The post was widely panned.
Height Difference Between Paul and Tyson
Paul is taller than Tyson. He’s 6-foot-1 with a 76-inch reach. Tyson is 5-foot-10 with a 71-inch reach.
That might not be a problem for Tyson, as all but one of his opponents were taller than him. He managed to go 56-6 in his career.
What is truly of concern for Tyson is his age.
Who Has Jake Paul Fought?
Jake Paul has fought 10 times, compiling a 9-1 record with six KOs.
His lone loss was to professional boxer Tommy Fury on points, while most of his wins have come against UFC stars or professional athletes from other sports.
His last fight came on March 2 when he defeated Ryan Bourland with a first-round knockout.
Here’s a list of all the fighters Paul has fought in his career, along with the result.
- AnESonGib: win, TKO
- Nate Robinson: win, ME
- Ben Askren: win, TKO
- Tyron Woodley: win, SD
- Tyron Woodley: win, KO
- Anderson Silva: win, UD
- Tommy Fury: loss, SD
- Nate Diaz: win, UD
- Second August: win, KO
- Ryan Bourland: win, TKO
Has Netflix Ever Streamed a Live Sports Event?
This will be the third live sporting event that Netflix has hosted.
Netflix’s first foray into live sports came in November 2023 when it hosted The Netflix Cupwhich had the stars of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series facing off against the stars of Full Swing.
In March, Netflix hosted The Netflix Slamwhich was an exhibition tennis match between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
Netflix has also hosted a variety of sports-related original content, including Untold series (which had an episode that focused on Paul) along with Last Chance U.
Photo by Miguel J. Rodríguez Carrillo /VIEWpress
ظهرت في الأصل على www.forbes.com