YouTuber boxer Jake Paul and former unified heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will meet in an officially sanctioned professional bout this summer on July 20th.
The Texas Commission has reportedly sanctioned the Paul vs. Tyson fight to count in the record books for their match on Netflix PPV at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), who turns 58 years old on June 30th, will be competing in a professional fight for the first time in 19 years since 2005 when he takes on Jake (9-1, 6 KOs).
There’s no word yet on why the Texas Commission chose to sanction the Paul-Tyson fight as a professional match, but it’s not a popular decision. If Tyson gets badly hurt in this fight, the backlash will be severe.
It’s unclear if Jake will take it easy on Tyson because of his age and the criticism he would have to deal with from fans if he were to knock out the legend. Jake won’t be on the receiving end of all the angry fans if he hurts Tyson.
Tyson is almost 60, and he looked poor in losing the last two fights of his professional career against low-level heavyweights Kevin McBride and Danny Williams.
Implications and Reactions
I don’t think Jake Paul is under any illusions about what a win over Mike Tyson would do for his standings in the sport. It’s believed that this is just a money grab for Jake, and if he wins, it’s no big deal. The money is the thing.
Jake won’t suddenly want to fight one of the top heavyweights unless he’s offered a lot of cash to fight someone popular. If Jake loses to Tyson, it would confirm that he doesn’t have a great future ahead of him in the sport. However, Paul would have an excuse, blaming his defeat on fighting outside of his natural weight class of cruiserweight, not that anyone would buy that explanation.
It would be embarrassing for Tyson to lose to a YouTuber / influencer, but the money he’s getting for the fight might make him feel a little better. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mike Tyson’s fortune is estimated at $10 million. Tyson’s bank account will increase substantially from his fight with Jake, and that might make the fight worth it, even if he loses.