Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is certainly not a conventional bout, and even more so since Paul wagered his entire $40 million purse on a victory.
At the time YouTuber turned professional boxer Paul (27) was born, critics were questioning if Tyson’s career was over, two months after he was comprehensively beaten inside 11 rounds by Evander Holyfield.
That was January 1997, ‘Iron Mike’ was supposed to be in his prime at 31 but here we are three decades later and the now 58-year-old is stepping into the ring for his first time since an exhibition bout in 2020. His last professional fight was a loss to Kevin McBride in 2005.
Is Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson a safe event? Tyson is almost 60, going up against a man less than half his age, while Paul is set to expose himself to one of the hardest punchers ever to grace the ring.
Some have even questioned if the contest is genuine, with so much doubt and disbelief about the above factors.
Earlier this year, Paul’s Betr wagering platform was awarded an online sports betting license in Maryland.
THE REASON BEHIND THE SLAP 👀
WAS THIS JAKES FAULT? 🤔⬇️
–#PaulTyson
Friday, November 15th
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Live on @netflix pic.twitter.com/WihgFrYw92— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) November 15, 2024
Tyson is said to be on half the purse amount Paul is receiving, with the fight promoted by the latter’s Most Valuable Promotions company. A bullish impromptu bet at Thursday’s press conference with co-main event female boxer Katie Taylor raised the stakes higher for ‘The Problem Child’.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will see the fighters don bigger 14-ounce gloves instead of the standard 10-ounce variety, with the fight consisting of eight two-minute rounds instead of the usual 12 three-minute periods.
It is bizarre but also box-office, capturing the imagination with a crowd of around 70,000 expected at the stadium and millions more tuning in on Netflix. The streaming service is anticipating record numbers to tune in, while MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian insisted a Netflix deal was agreed for Paul’s next clash before Tyson was confirmed as the opponent.
MIKE TYSON HITS JAKE PAUL AT THE WEIGH IN #PaulTyson
—
LIVE ON NETFLIX
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
8 PM ET | 5 PM PT pic.twitter.com/kFU40jVvk0— Netflix (@netflix) November 15, 2024
What are the odds for the Paul vs. Tyson fight?
Some of the latest odds for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson include FanDuel listing Paul as the -205 favorite (risk $205 to win $100) to win, with Tyson considered a +164 underdog.
You can back a draw at +1000, while the odds for the fight to go the distance is +152. Paul to secure victory by knockout is +150, or you can wager Iron Mike to roll back the years with a knockout at +230.
The over/under for total rounds in the contest is 5.5 (-112/-112).
Image credit: Netflix/X
