Mike Tyson has nothing to prove and much to lose in his boxing match with YouTube star-turned-pro-boxer Jake Paul, scheduled for July 20 at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The fight will be via PPV and streamed on Netflix as the movie giant ventures into the live sports and streaming arena.
Paul, on the other hand, has everything to gain. It’s authenticity versus manufactured greatness at its best. An example of how the two worlds is now a dual-functioning entity when it comes to the future of boxing and selling it to the mainstream.
Tyson is an icon, willing to share his hard-earned legacy with a guy who rode social media to stardom and opportunities beyond his wildest dreams.
In this wacky world, where social media and sensationalism is the tail wagging the dog, a clash of these two unique cultural icons satisfies the thirst of everyone looking for a boxing moment that transcends the ring and unites families and people of all age groups along contrasting narratives.
Paul is in his prime at age 27, having already fought once this year. Tyson, who was walking with a cane two years ago, will be 58 when the fight jumps off in front of hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of subscribers.
Tyson Risks Brain Damage In Fight With Jake Paul
Reports say doctors have warned Tyson that his upcoming match with Paul could lead to serious injuries, including ruptured veins in his brain. There were rumors that both fighters would wear head guards, which would undoubtedly lessen the attraction of the bout and weaken promoters trying to sell it as a “real boxing match,” not an exhibition.
Paul dismissed those rumors and as expected, he’s leaning into this promotion like his brother Logan leans into full dismounts off the top rope in his job as a pro wrestler.
This clash is more than three years in the making, so Paul has strategically maneuvered himself to career-defining moment. At the time, the narrative was whether or not Paul could even withstand a Tyson punch.
Will Tyson-Jake Paul Be A Real Fight?
Which leads us to the authenticity of the fight. Will both fighters really be trying to knock the other out? How many rounds are we talking, because Tyson hasn’t fought competitively since his popular return bout against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.
Jones and Tyson had both seen better days, so it was an evenly matched fight that ended in a draw. Paul is not an over-the-hill champion boxer with more than 50 fights under his belt.
Paul is on a run and in the prime of his life. He has won nine of 10 fights with six knockouts against a group of former athletes and MMA fighters. His only loss came last year to Tommy Fury, half-brother of WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury.
“Iron Mike” Tyson, of course, was the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987-90 and retired in 2005 after winning 50 fights, 44 by knockout.
“My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion of the world, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. Time to put Iron Mike to sleep,” Paul wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Tyson Looking Serious
Tyson released a video, where he was looking quite fit and ferocious. The champ sent a warning to Paul that got everyone feeling real nostalgic, including Chuck D of the legendary hip-hop collective Public Enemy.
The way people react to a short video of Tyson is why this fight will generate big money. We can’t ignore the age difference. We also can’t ignore the warnings that doctors have given Iron Mike. Maybe they are exaggerated and lend mystery and tension to the event. Between now and July we will probably hear some of the weirdest stories and narratives surrounding the throw-down. There’s also still the possibility that the fight, which is four months away, never happens if Tyson has any physical setbacks during his training camp.
All of this unpredictability adds to the allure of the fight. Nobody knows what we are really going to get, but we all have our imaginations.
