For better or worse, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will face off on November 15 The fight between Paul, 27, and Tyson, 58, comes after delays and concerns over whether the fight should actually split boxing. the ring
While there are plenty of questions and concerns heading into the fight, it’s guaranteed to attract plenty of both attention and money. D AT&T Stadium will be the heavyweight fight in Arlington, Texas and will stream live on Netflix (more below).
Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight champion, has not fought professionally since retiring in 2005 in a fight with Kevin McBride. After a 1992 rape conviction that plagued his life, including three years in prison, Tyson has spent the past decade rehabilitating his public image.
Paul went from social media superstar to someone who decided to dabble in boxing, only to find the sport appealed to him on a deeper level. He made himself one of the sport’s biggest box office draws while amassing a 10-1 record with seven knockouts. These fights have mostly come against former NBA star Nate Robinson and crossover athletes like former UFC stars Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know before the circus comes to AT&T Stadium on November 15.
Wasn’t this fight supposed to be in July?
Yes, the fight was originally scheduled for July 20. It was delayed after reports that Tyson had suffered a medical event on a flight in May. It turned out to be an ulcer flare-up, which is not expected to be suspended until a statement is released on May 31.
“During a follow-up consultation with medical professionals on Thursday regarding his recent ulcer flare-up, Mike Tyson has been advised to undergo minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training without any restrictions,” the statement said.
Is it a ‘real fight’ or a show?
Unlike Tyson’s exhibition fight with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, this is an officially sanctioned fight that will go on both men’s professional records. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations approved the request to make the fight a licensed, professional contest, which many feel goes against good sense given the 30-plus year age gap between the two men.
Although Paul vs. Tyson will be a professional fight, it will not be contested under standard professional rules.
Isn’t Mike Tyson too old for a licensed professional fight?
There are many states whose athletic commissions would consider the answer to that question a resounding “yes,” especially nearly 20 years after Tyson fought in a licensed bout. Tyson is in fantastic shape for his age and his videos in the gym still show an impressive amount of speed and strength, but 58 years old is 58 years old no matter how you slice it.
Still, there are no specific rules on the TDLR books that prevent licensing a fighter after a certain age, and the state is generally seen as somewhat unfriendly to fighters and situations that bring in big money.
What are the rules of Tyson vs. Paul?
Despite this being a professional fight, it will be contested under some non-standard rules, especially for men’s boxing. Two standout rules are:
- The fight will be eight, two-minute rounds. While men’s professional bouts vary anywhere from four to 12 rounds, with those rounds being a typical three minutes, women typically compete in two-minute rounds due to antiquated attitudes of sanctioning bodies.
- Fighters will wear 14-ounce gloves. Typically, boxers weighing 135 pounds and under wear eight-ounce gloves and fighters over 135 wear 10-ounce gloves. Since the fight will be contested at heavyweight, this usually means 10-ounce gloves. Instead, fighters will wear 14-ounce gloves, which are usually only seen in sparring and will reduce the impact of punches.
How can I watch Tyson vs. Paul?
Tyson vs. Paul will stream live and free (for subscribers) on Netflix. The fight marked the first time Netflix has streamed a live combat sports event and their third streaming sporting event overall. Landing the fight is a big win for Netflix, which will attempt to break live event streaming records with a fight that, if not high-level boxing, will garner more attention than any fight featuring top professional boxers.
Is the undercard better?
Surprisingly, yes. While many modern boxing cards are top heavy, Tyson vs. Paul features a good mix of fights to introduce an audience that will be mostly unfamiliar with the sport. The top undercard fight — and the card’s top fight in terms of skill and importance — features a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano for Taylor’s spot as the undisputed lightweight champion. Their 2022 fight was a huge event and was the biggest women’s boxing fight of all time, as well as the first women’s boxing fight to headline New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The fight wasn’t just big, it was great, with thrilling action throughout before Taylor won a split decision.
Also on the card, Mario Barrios defends the WBC welterweight title against Abel Ramos, power-punching Shadasia Green takes on Melinda Watpool and fast-rising featherweight contender Bruce “Shoo Shu” Carrington is in action against Dana Coolwell. Those fights are in addition to a handful of other, less notable fights.
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