Jake Paul is one of the great success stories among YouTubers-turned-boxers. In six bouts so far he’s collected three knockout victories – including an upset victory against Nate Diaz in his most recent fight – but his decision to challenge former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson for an exhibition bout raises eyebrows in boxing circles – not out of any financial motivation but as an attempt to be taken seriously within his sport.
This match will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 20, and be shown live on Netflix – marking their debut into combat sports as well as MVP’s first fight since it launched alongside Nakisa Bidarian back in 2021.
Mike Tyson is widely considered the greatest heavyweight of all time and has not competed since 2005. At age 60+ and having not competed since 2005, taking on someone nearly 10 years younger is considered extremely risky; Mike would hold nearly every physical advantage and be one of the greatest punchers ever.
Tyson and Paul are making huge sums from this fight, making it likely the most-watched boxing event ever. But its polarizing nature raises concerns over whether it is beneficial for professional boxing as a whole; its success may signal too much dependence on crossover events for entertainment purposes, with core values at risk being compromised in exchange for financial gains.
Paul has proven to be an exceptional opponent for those competing in this new wave of social media-influenced fighters, such as Tyson. He’s big, strong and athletic with 30 years less fighting experience. Paul most recently secured a TKO victory against Ryan Bourland on March 2 to increase his record to 9-1 with 6 KOs.
Paul may never challenge for a title, but his next opponents should help him establish himself as a more legitimate contender in boxing. Most likely, Paul will face an undefeated boxer before facing one or more top contenders during 2024 summer bouts – should that plan play out successfully, it’d establish him as an actual threat; should it falter however, it would be an embarrassment both personally and for boxing as a sport; hopefully Paul has learned from past errors or can put forward his best effort against truly powerful opponents – something everyone involved will hope will occur, yet nobody knows just yet; only time will tell if Paul can put forward their best possible efforts against these opponents!