When news broke that influencer-turned-boxing star Jake Paul would face former heavyweight superstar Mike Tyson in a boxing match in July, many were perplexed.
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Paul has fought some of the biggest names in martial arts, from Tyron Woodley to Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tommy Fury. However, he felt signing a fight with 57-year-old Mike Tyson was a step too far. The big question remained as to whether this match would be a sanctioned match or just an exhibition.
That question was resolved on Monday. According to ESPN's Andreas Heil, the July 20 fight, which will be broadcast on Netflix, will be officially classified as a sanctioned professional heavyweight bout, and the result will be reflected in both boxers' official records.
“Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do it in a sanctioned professional fight with a final outcome,” said Nakisa Bidalyan, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. Stated. said in a statement to ESPN.. “Over the past six weeks, MVP has been working with our partners to meet the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's (TDLR) sanction requirements for the Paul vs. Tyson fight, and we are grateful to have gotten this far.”
The fight will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be broadcast on Netflix for all subscribers, and will feature eight 14-ounce, two-minute rounds. gloves.
Tyson hasn't competed professionally since 2005 and hasn't won since a knockout loss to Clifford Etienne in 2003. His overall record is 50 wins, 6 losses, and 44 KOs.
Paul, 27, turned to boxing after a career on the Disney Channel/YouTube and boasts a record of 9 wins, 1 loss, and 6 KOs, and has been even more active recently. His recent wins are over Andrew August and Ryan Borland.
The 31-year age difference is the largest in boxing history, prompting concerns that the bout may not be officially sanctioned.
The match is also Netflix's first martial arts event.
