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boxing Mike Tyson will look to roll back the years when he takes on Jake Paul in a surprise crossover bout this summer. The 57-year-old still remains the youngest fighter to have become heavyweight world champion, a feat he achieved at the age of 20 in 1986 when he stopped Trevor Berbick in the second round, and he went on to claim the undisputed crown in a remarkable career. Almost two decades on from when Tyson last stepped into the ring in a professional bout, a defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005, the legendary heavyweight makes his return in an event that will draw attention from the world of sport and beyond. It is four years since his last exhibition against Roy Jones Jr, and it was a surprise therefore when the announcement came that Tyson would be fighting Paul in July, by which point he will be 58, at the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There is sure to be plenty of entertainment in the build-up to this fight, with a world press tour soon to be announced and preparations in both camps already well underway. Tyson has announced he is to stop filming his Hotboxin' podcast as he keeps his full focus on the July date, while Paul has claimed he is is “too sharp and fast” to get hurt by ‘Iron Mike’. Few would have predicted this bout when Paul knocked out former
basketball player Nate Robinson on the undercard of Tyson’s exhibition with Jones. The former
YouTube star is now 9-1 as a professional, with that defeat coming against Tommy Fury and the wins largely over former MMA stars and little-known boxers. The showdown with Tyson will be promoted by Paul’s company Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), with this the latest step on a boxing journey he continues to insist will lead to a world title. “It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. 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,” said Paul. “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.” Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson: Date, rules, purse, how to watch and more Who is Jake Paul? Influencer-turned-boxer set to fight Mike Tyson Jake Paul and Mike Tyson announce blockbuster summer fight on
Netflix Make your next trip to the West End a celebration of
Women in culture No timings for the card have yet been confirmed, but Arlington is five hours behind
UK time and so the main event is likely to be at approximately 4am GMT in the early hours of Sunday morning. The bout will be screened live on Netflix , with this the platform’s first move into live boxing. There has been a shifts towards sporting action in recent months, with The Netflix Cup held in November as a crossover between
golf and
Formula One stars. Carlos Alcaraz faced
Rafael Nadal in The Netflix Slam in March, an exhibition
Tennis match that took place in
Las Vegas. It remains to be seen whether the bout is an exhibition or sanctioned as a professional contest. While Derek Chisora has claimed the two fighters will wear headguards and 18lbs gloves, Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian dismissed that suggestion. “Unequivocally there is no headgear for Paul vs Tyson,” he posted on
Social Media. “Haters spreading
fake news, but it won't stop the tens of millions of views.” Details on the number and length of rounds have not been released, but Tyson’s exhibition with Roy Jones Jr had eight two-minute rounds. Reports suggest the fighters are keen for it to be a professional bout, but a decision has not been made by the
Texas commission. Fights on the undercard of Paul vs Tyson will be announced in the coming weeks. UFC legend Henry Cejudo is a close friend of Tyson, with the pair previously hosting a podcast today, and he recently suggested that 57-year-old is set to take home in the region of $20m for fighting Paul. “I mean, you know what I respect, Uncle Mike… but it obviously takes two to tango,” Cejudo said. “I feel like there is probably a really good payday for Mike. He’s probably going to wind up making close to about $20mi and he’s about to turn 58 years old. Literally, Jake is 27 and Mike is 57. "I don't like it but I was with Mike when he was getting ready for his Roy Jones Jr. fight. This dude is disciplined, he gets moody when he's in fight camp and doesn't smoke as much. He runs every day at 5'o'clock in the morning. If there's anybody super ferocious who can potentially put this dude out, it is Mike." It is unclear how much Paul will make, but he claimed to have earned $30m when losing to Tommy Fury last year. Paul to win: 10/11 Tyson to win: 6/5 Draw: 6/1 Odds via Sky Bet (subject to change). MORE ABOUT Have your say...