Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to be a sanctioned pro boxing match
Promoters confirmed Monday that Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul on July 20 will be a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations-sanctioned boxing match. The heavyweight fight, live on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will last eight, two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves.
Each fighter will wear 14-ounce gloves for eight two-minute rounds of the heavyweight match. The result will impact their boxing careers.
“Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement. “Over the past six weeks MVP has worked with its partners to satisfy the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) to sanction Paul vs. Tyson and we are grateful that we have gotten to this point.”
Tyson, 57, hasn't won a boxing battle since February 2003's Clifford Etienne knockout. After his 50th win, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride stopped him in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) will be 58 when he fights July 20. Paul turns 27.
The 31-year age disparity will be the largest in professional boxing history, surpassing the 24-year gap between Archie Moore (49) and Mike DiBiase (25) in 1963. Moore beat DiBiase by third-round TKO and fought four times as a 48-year-old before retiring aged 49.
Social media star Paul (9-1) debuted in boxing in 2020. Later, he defeated Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz. His only loss was to Tommy Fury in February 2023.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul said in a statement when the fight was announced in March. “Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons.”
This anticipated bout will mark Netflixs live sports event and its debut, in combat sports.