Mike Tyson returns to the ring this summer to box Jake Paul in a special live show on Netflix.
The streaming giant announced the boxing match on Thursday, saying the bout will take place on Saturday, July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Paul, 27, said in a statement that he “couldn’t be more excited” to fight Tyson, 57, who was one of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport.
“My goal is to become a world champion, and now I have the opportunity to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time,” the social media influencer turned boxer said. “This is going to be the fight of a lifetime.”
During his career from 1985 to 2005, Tyson was 50-6-2, winning 44 bouts by knockout. His dominance as a heavyweight boxer earned him nicknames such as “Iron Mike” and “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” and he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
“I look forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” Tyson said in a statement via Netflix. “He has grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of the ‘kid’ can do with the experience and ability of CAPRICORN. It’s a full-circle moment that will be beyond exciting to watch; as I started him in his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to finish him.”
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Mike Tyson.
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Paul, who rose to fame as a social media influencer alongside his brother Logan Paul, made his boxing debut against English YouTuber Deji Olatunji in 2018. He went on to book multiple bouts in the coming years against the YouTube personality, former NBA player Nate Robinson and several current and former UFC stars including Anderson Silva, Tommy Fury and Nate Diaz.
Paul launched his boxing organization Most Valuable Promotions in 2021 along with advisor Nakisa Bidarian.
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Jake Paul and Ryan Bourland in 2024.
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Although Tyson retired from competitive boxing in 2005, he has since participated in exhibition bouts, where boxers typically show less effort. Tyson was criticized for looking relaxed during a 2006 exhibition bout that was described as “more sparring than two fighters trying to knock each other out,” according to Boxing Scene.
Tyson recently fought Roy Jones Jr. to a split tie in November 2020 in a Snoop Dogg-commented event.
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Gabe Spitzer, Netflix’s vice president of Nonfiction Sports, said Tyson’s matchup with Paul will provide “pure drama in the ring,” while Bidarian said Tyson vs. Paul is a “once-in-a-lifetime dream matchup.”
“We hope it will be the most watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” Bidarian said.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education