Mike Tyson has revealed his spectacle fight against YouTuber / influencer Jake Paul will be an exhibition match on July 20th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The news of the Paul vs. Tyson match being just an exhibition ain’t going over well with fans, with many of them saying they’ll pass on purchasing the event on PPV. There’s no word if the pay-per-view price for the event will be steeply discounted due to it being an exhibition.
For fans of the 58-year-old legend Mike Tyson, they may not mind that it’s not a real fight. They just want to see the former unified heavyweight champion Tyson in action. Many of them would pay to see Tyson hit mitts, so this isn’t a big deal.
Confusing Messages
Interestingly, Tyson is quoted by Fox News, saying, “This is a fight.” This message muddies the water, confusing fans and leaving them wondering if it’s going to be a fight in the real sense, but just not counting on the records.
If that’s what the fight is, that’s pretty much just as good as a fight that counts on the record books because it would be a joke to have it as a true clash to count on Tyson’s resume due to his advanced age.
How can Tyson be faulted if he loses to the 27-year-old Jake, given that he’s pushing 60, hasn’t fought in 19 years, and hasn’t won a fight in 21 years since his victory over Clifford Etienne in February 2003? Let this sink in Jake Paul was only six-years-old when Tyson won his last fight.
What is an Exhibition, Anyway?
Exhibition matches don’t count on a fighter’s record and are often fought at less than maximum effort, with the participants taking it easy, not loading up on power shots. There’s often joking and clowning going on. Headgear and large 16 gloves to ensure the boxers aren’t hurt. The focus of exhibitions is to entertain the fans instead of being a competition.