From fight night schedule to prize money and fighters’ quips, here’s Al Jazeera’s guide to boxing’s mega-event showdown between Tyson and Paul on November 15.
Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will face-off against social-media-personality-turned-professional-boxer Jake Paul in a hugely anticipated boxing exhibition fight.
The fight is the latest in what has become a popular trend in recent years, pitting internet celebrities against each other or against recognised boxers, who have already retired or are well past their prime.
What are Tyson and Paul fighting for?
Forty million dollars and bragging rights but no title belts will be on the line.
However, the fight has been sanctioned by Texas boxing officials and will hence be added to the fighters’ records as a professional bout.
Who is Mike Tyson?
An American boxer from New York City, Tyson is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time who became the youngest world heavyweight champion at the age of 20.
The 58-year-old was at the peak of his boxing career during the late 1980s and the 1990s, and held the title of undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
Also known as “Iron Mike”, the boxer has a history of off-field troubles, has been convicted on several occasions and has served jail time.
Tyson resumed boxing in 1996 and quickly regained his championship belts before his mega-fight with two-time champion Evander Holyfield, which Iron Mike lost. A rematch in 1997 became widely controversial as Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear twice and ended up not only losing the fight but also his boxing licence.
The boxer’s last heavyweight title fight came in 2002 against British champion Lennox Lewis, who knocked out Tyson in the eighth round.
After a series of non-title bouts and filing for bankruptcy, Tyson finally quit in 2005.
Who is Jake Paul?
Paul is one of the highest-paid Youtube content creators – with 20.8 million subscribers – as well as an actor and professional boxer from Cleveland, Ohio.
The 27-year-old made his boxing debut in a white-collar boxing match – an exhibition boxing match between celebrities – in 2018 and turned professional two years later.
In 2021, Paul defeated Bellator MMA and ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren in a first-round technical knockout in a widely watched fight. His next major heavyweight fight was against Tommy Fury – half-brother of former heavyweight boxing world champion Tyson Fury – which Paul lost by decision.
It was followed by a series of successful bouts for Paul before the fight against Tyson was confirmed in early 2024.
What has Tyson said about the fight?
When the fight was announced, Tyson said he was looking forward to fighting an opponent who is 31 years his junior, insisting that he had been impressed by Paul’s performances in his fledgling boxing career.
“He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT,” Tyson said.
Paul fought on the undercard of Tyson’s last outing, an eight-round exhibition against former middleweight king Roy Jones Jr in Los Angeles in 2020.
“I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him,” Tyson quipped.
“As soon as I catch this guy it’s going to be totally over, he is going to run. He is gonna run like a thief.”
When the fight was rescheduled, Tyson warned Paul that he would “still be knocked out and out of boxing for good”.
What has Paul said about the fight?
Paul responded to Tyson’s jibe over the rescheduling by saying: “I fully support postponing the event so Mike Tyson has no excuses come fight night.”
Paul, who was booed and heckled by the crowd at a news conference in August, claimed he would put Tyson to sleep.
“I am here to make 40 million dollars and knock out a legend,” Paul said.
“I love Mike and I respect him but we are not friends any more until November 15,” he said.
How much do tickets for the Tyson-Paul fight cost?
The cheapest tickets are priced at $55 but fans looking to get closer to the action than ever before can spend $2m for ringside apron seats.
The premium hospitality package for the fight, a 10-ticket “MVP Owner’s Experience”, will seat two people in a private suite less than two metres (six feet) from the action.
Among the other perks are a pre-fight locker room visit with Tyson and Paul, a chance to be onstage during the weigh-in, autographed gloves from both boxers and personal concierge and security detail during the week.
In addition to the ringside apron suite, the package includes four seats in each of the first two rows.
Who is on the co-main event?
- Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano – IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO women’s super-lightweight titles
Who is on the undercards?
- Neeraj Goyat vs Whindersson Nunes – Super-middleweight
- Mario Barrios vs Abel Ramos – WBC welterweight title
- Shadasia Green vs Melinda Watpool – WBO super-middleweight title
- Lucas Bahdi vs Corey Marksman – Super-lightweight
- Bruce Carrington vs Dana Coolwell – featherweight
- EDITED by:
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