NEW DELHI: Former heavyweight boxing champion
Mike Tyson
's upcoming bout against YouTube sensation
Jake Paul
on July 20 in Dallas will be a sanctioned heavyweight
professional fight
, as announced by the fighters and promoters in Washington on Monday.
The fight is scheduled to last eight rounds, with each round lasting two minutes. Importantly, the result will be recorded on the official records of both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
This marks a significant departure from Tyson's recent exhibition matches and signifies a return to sanctioned professional competition for the legendary boxer.
Despite his illustrious career, Tyson, with a record of 50 wins, 6 losses, and 44 knockouts, has not secured a victory since his triumph over Clifford Etienne in 2003. However, he remains a formidable force in the ring, renowned for his power and ferocity.
Concerns were raised regarding the age difference between the two fighters, with Paul being 27 years old and Tyson set to turn 58 on June 30. Nevertheless, the decision to sanction the bout as a professional heavyweight fight indicates the confidence of the organisers in both competitors' abilities to deliver an exciting and competitive match.
"Mike Tyson wanted it to be a pro fight. Netflix wanted it to be a pro fight. So I agreed to make it a pro fight. Winner takes all," Paul posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The bout will be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the
NFL's Dallas Cowboys
.
"Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,"
Most Valuable Promotions
co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in an X post.
"Over the past six weeks we have worked with our partners to satisfy the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) to sanction Paul vs Tyson."
Tyson's boxing career spans several decades, marked by numerous highs and lows. He won his first heavyweight world title in 1986 and achieved undisputed champion status in 1987, a decade before Jake Paul was born.
Despite a stunning upset loss to Buster Douglas in Tokyo in 1990, Tyson made a triumphant comeback in 1996 to reclaim a world crown before eventually losing the title to Evander Holyfield. His last world title bout saw him suffer defeat to Britain's Lennox Lewis by eighth-round knockout in Memphis in 2002.
Tyson's career continued with mixed results, including victories over opponents like Etienne in 2003. However, he faced setbacks in comeback attempts against fighters like Danny Williams in 2004 and Kevin McBride in 2005, with the latter bout in Washington serving as his retirement announcement.
On the other hand, Paul, with a record of 9-1 and six wins by knockout, has quickly risen to prominence in the boxing world. His most recent victory came last month in Puerto Rico, where he stopped Ryan Bourland in the first round.
However, Paul's only loss came in a split decision to Britain's
Tommy Fury
in February 2023 in Saudi Arabia.
(With AFP inputs)
English (US) ·