A scammer-turned-boxer walks into a boxing ring against a former undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion. Stop us if you have heard this joke before.
On July 20, Jake Paul will fight Mike Tyson in a boxing match that will be livestreamed on Netflix. Additional information, including the co-main event and undercards, will be announced at a later date. It is being produced in a partnership between Netflix and Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
Beyond Paul’s sketchy background, he is admittedly a professional fighter with a record of nine wins, one loss and six knockouts since his debut four years ago. Earlier this month, he defeated Ryan Bourland via a technical knockout.
However, this has to be compared to Tyson, who has a professional record of 50 wins, six loses and 44 knockouts.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Tyson’s undercard,” Paul said in a statement.
“Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons.
“Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the US, broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world – a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time”.
Paul also claims that he has his sights set on becoming a world champion, and in order to reach that height, he wants to prove himself in a fight against the most dangerous boxer of all time.
Meanwhile, Tyson admits that Paul has grown significantly as a boxer over the past few years, and it will be interesting for him to watch how his opponent’s will and ambition will fare against him.
“It is a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch, as I started him off on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to finish him.”
Netflix subscribers will be able to watch Tyson materialise his threat on July 20.