Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is gearing up for his first sanctioned fight since 2005 as he prepares to take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in an eight-round bout. The event is set to take place at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and will be streamed on Netflix, reaching over 280 million subscribers worldwide.
The Texas regulators have approved the fight with limited rounds of just two minutes each, and both fighters will be using heavier gloves to reduce the impact of punches. Tyson, with a record of 50-6 and 44 knockouts, will be facing the much younger Paul, who boasts a 10-1 record with seven knockouts in his professional boxing career.
The fight was initially scheduled for July but had to be postponed due to Tyson's health issues. Following his exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, Tyson gained confidence in his ability to return to the ring for a real fight. The tension between the fighters escalated during the weigh-in, with Tyson even slapping Paul to cut short the faceoff.
Reports suggest that Paul is set to earn $40 million for the fight, while Tyson will receive $20 million. Despite his past legal and financial challenges, Tyson has stated that his motivation for fighting Paul is not financial.
In the co-main event, the undisputed women's super lightweight championship will be on the line as Katie Taylor of Ireland faces Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico in a highly anticipated rematch. The two fighters previously clashed in a closely contested bout at Madison Square Garden, marking the first time women headlined an event at the iconic venue.
With excitement building for this unique boxing event, fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the showdown between Tyson and Paul, as well as the thrilling rematch between Taylor and Serrano.
Source: AP sports
