ARLINGTON, Texas — Friendship is at the heart of how a fight came together between 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and much younger YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Friction helped build the hype for a bout that is testing the formula for how boxing is delivered to the masses, a first-ever combat sports offering from the streaming platform Netflix rather than pay-per-view or traditional cable.
“I think they’re beloved fans of Mike Tyson,” Paul said, trying to explain the boisterous boos that have greeted him when the two have appeared together in recent months to hype the event.
“And I’m the new kid on the block, the disrupter, loud mouth, polarizing figure,” Paul said. “And I’ve built my career as the heel. Naturally people want to root against me, and that’s great for the sport of boxing.”
Tyson’s first sanctioned professional fight in almost 20 years is set for Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. A crowd of at least 60,000 is expected while Netflix offers the bout at no additional cost to more than 280 million subscribers globally.
The 27-year-old Paul is relatively new to the sport, the one-time social media influencer bringing a 10-1 record with seven knockouts mostly against mixed martial artists and journeymen boxers.
Tyson was 50-6 with 44 knockouts when he retired after losing to Kevin McBride in 2005, saying he didn’t have anything left to give the sport. He last fought in an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. with no fans during the pandemic in 2020.
A fight originally scheduled for July 20 was postponed when Tyson had to be treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.
Tyson said in a documentary chronicling the preparations for the fight that he lost 26 pounds in the process of recovering.
Promoter Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded Most Valuable Promotions with Paul, said Tyson was cleared medically weeks ago. Bidarian sidestepped a question of how concerned he was for Tyson’s health once he steps in the ring.
“I’m nervous for both men,” Bidarian said. “The reality is Jake’s never been hit by someone like Mike Tyson flush on the chin. And Mike hasn’t fought someone like Jake for a very long time. That’s what makes this interesting.”
Paul said he had a vision for the fight about two years ago and shared it with Tyson because he thought the Hall of Famer would understand — and be interested. It took about that long for the bout to come together.
Tyson appeared agitated at both hype events with fans in the Dallas area, first in the weeks before the originally scheduled fight and again at a news conference two nights before the bout.
He was more reflective in a smaller setting with reporters, suggesting he wasn’t the same foul-mouthed, scowling fighter from his prime.
“I’ve been through so many ups and downs since my last fight with Kevin McBride,” Tyson said. “I’ve been in rehab. I’ve been in prison, been locked up. Never in a million years did I believe I’d be doing this.”
According to reports, Paul will get $40 million for the fight, a number he mentioned at another news conference in New York in August.
Tyson, who had two stints in prison over convictions in the 1990s for rape and assault and declared bankruptcy 21 years ago, will get $20 million. Tyson has said he isn’t doing the fight for money.
“That old Mike Tyson … he doesn’t have no more purpose in my life. He just doesn’t exist,” Tyson said. “I’m having a good time in my life. I don’t have much time left, so I’m having the best time of my life.”
Several states wouldn’t sanction the bout. Texas agreed to a fight that was eight rounds instead of 10 or 12, with two-minute rounds instead of three, and heavier gloves designed to lessen the power of punches.
Paul has faced persistent questions about why he would fight someone so much older, regardless of Tyson’s pedigree. His answers have been consistent.
“I say talk to Mike and tell Mike that,” Paul said. “He’s the one that wanted it to be a pro fight and me, as a young person in this sport, is not going to (pass) up the opportunity to fight the GOAT of boxing. It’s like Ja Morant turning down a 1-v-1 against LeBron. It’s not going to happen.”
There is a high-profile championship fight on the card — the co-main event of Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano.
Paul said he wanted to give the women a spotlight after their slugfest at sold-out Madison Square Garden in 2022. It was the first time women headlined a boxing event at the famous venue.
Taylor won a split decision that many questioned. Bidarian and Paul say the rematch for the undisputed super welterweight title will be the most lucrative women’s sporting event in history.
“A lot of people said the real main event is Taylor-Serrano,” Bidarian said. “I’m OK if you feel that way. Jake has said he’s more excited about that fight than his own fight. But we wanted to ensure the most eyeballs got to see that fight. To be quite honest with ourselves, Paul-Tyson draws a bigger audience.”