YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will fight former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Texas, Netflix announced Thursday. The streaming platform will provide live coverage of the bout between Paul, 27, and 57-year-old Tyson. It is not clear if it will be an official fight or an exhibition bout.
Tyson’s professional career ended in 2005 and he has not fought since he and Roy Jones Jr. met in a 2020 exhibition that ended in a draw. In a video released by Netflix, Paul is seen getting off a helicopter on a rooftop before coming face to face with boxing legend Tyson.
“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,” YouTube influencer Paul, who turned professional in boxing four years ago, wrote on social media.
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Paul has won nine of his 10 boxing fights, usually against ex-UFC fighters. His only defeat was when he came against British heavyweight Tommy Fury in February last year, according to BBC.
“He’s the greatest heavyweight of all time…the most vicious KO artist ever,” Paul said in a different post about Tyson. “But I’m younger, I’m faster and I’m going to be working my ass off to get stronger.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, “Iron Mike,” as Tyson is affectionately known, was a dominant figure in his boxing days and was feared for his fierce and very heavy punching power, resilience, skill and strength.
Tyson’s road to stardom began at the 1981 Junior Olympics when he impressively won gold after knocking out his opponent in the first round after 9 seconds. He followed it up with another gold medal at the 1982 Junior Olympics, this time bettering his first-round knockout of 9 seconds the previous year by taking down his opponent within 8 seconds.
He began his professional career in 1985 at the age of 18 when he squared off against Hector Mercedes, knocking him out in the first round. Tyson went on to become the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in the world at the age of 20 the following year.
“Iron Mike” hung his gloves in 2005 with an incredible professional record of 50 wins and 6 losses with 44 of his victories ending in knockouts.
