Jake Paul will face heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight this July. It will be streamed live on Netflix and take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; home of NFL team Dallas Cowboys. However, due to their vast age gaps and speculation regarding Tyson’s health issues this bout has drew considerable criticism from critics and pundits alike.
Tyson last fought an official boxing match against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020 and boasts a 50-6 record with 44 of those wins coming via knockout. He remains one of the greatest heavyweights ever and continues to draw significant fan support even when not active on the battlefield.
Recently, he’s made headlines for scoring first-round knockout wins against low-profile fellow boxers and former MMA fighters such as Andre August and Ryan Bourland. Additionally, he expressed a desire to move away from fighting fellow YouTubers or former MMA fighters so as to pursue a legitimate professional boxing career.
However, some experts argue Paul may not be ready for professional boxing yet and view his bout against former world champion David Haye as an indicator. Furthermore, recent news that Paul is working with USA Boxing to elevate their sport and identify future champions only added fuel to naysayers’ doubts over his suitability for such high levels of competition.
Experts point to the size difference between Paul and Tyson as another reason they don’t anticipate an even matchup; Paul stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 205 pounds while Tyson towers above at 6-foot-5 and 220. With respect to power and reach, a clear advantage would accrue to Tyson.
Though Tyson may find it challenging to compete against Paul’s youthful skillset, he remains one of the world’s biggest celebrities and will create massive buzz for this fight if everything runs smoothly. Additionally, its free-to-stream nature may ensure it becomes the most-watched fight this century.
While many may dismiss this matchup as nothing more than a publicity stunt, there’s certainly an economic element involved. Sports journalists noted that if all goes according to plan, this event could break all-time PPV buy records set by Mayweather and Pacquiao’s fight – undoubtedly becoming the biggest fight of 2024 and potentially leading to further events similar to this in future years if successful – because both parties possess enough cash resources for such an endeavor and put on an event sure to please both sets of fans.