Mike Tyson will make his ring comeback after almost 20 years for an exhibition fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on July 20. The bout will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and stream live on Netflix; although Tyson hasn’t competed since his corner retirement loss to Kevin McBride back in 2005, the 57-year-old says he is up for this new challenge.
Paul, 27, has amassed many victories during his short professional boxing career. Beginning by taking on MMA fighters and other celebrities before transitioning into boxing with back-to-back first round knockout victories over professional boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland (Golden Glove winners), Cleveland native Paul will have the chance to show his skills before an audience of up to 80,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in this fight.
Tyson may be 30 years older than Paul, but according to him his power hasn’t decreased over time. Paul boasts his youth and dedication in training over what Tyson is famous for and will make himself an appealing opponent in this fight.
Still unclear is whether or not the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation will sanction or classify this bout as an exhibition, either way it promises to be one of the biggest events in combat sports history with both fighters having wide international appeal.
MVP and Nakisa Bidarian will partner once more for this event, after successfully producing Triller Presents Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr. which remains one of the 8th most-bought pay-per-view events ever. Bidarian and MVP have already made waves by bringing female boxing to Madison Square Garden while simultaneously supporting new talent.
Though an exhibition, Paul’s bout against Tyson will draw massive crowds to the sport. Both fighters boast millions of followers on social media accounts and enjoy wide popularity throughout North America and abroad. For Paul in particular, this fight represents his biggest chance to establish himself as a top-tier boxer.
With just over one month until their big fight, Paul and Tyson have been working to generate anticipation. On Thursday (April 4), Paul posted a clip showing Lil Pump from MAGA rapper Lil Pump being placed into a boxing ring by Paul before unleashing a powerful left hook that sent Pump sprawling onto the ground. This video has since been liked over 1 million times on Twitter and over 3 million on Instagram; another example of Paul’s workout regimen, which often involves easily overpowering defenseless non-pugilists inside of boxing rings by Paul himself!