Mike Tyson ready to fight, Jake Paul excited ahead of Netflix bout

(Reuters): Jake Paul and Mike Tyson met the media in Arlington, Texas, ahead of their eight-round boxing match this Friday to put the finishing on Netflix’s first foray into the sporting world.

Paul, a 27-year-old YouTube star turned professional boxer, has risen quickly in his quest for mainstream boxing credibility.

In July, he knocked out Mike Perry, a veteran of UFC and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, to earn his fourth consecutive win and improve to 10-1 with seven KOs. Opposite Paul is the former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson, 58.

The fight is Tyson’s first sanctioned professional boxing match since losing to Kevin McBride in June 2005. Tyson retired shortly after that.

His most recent bout was an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) was a man of few words on Wednesday night, responding to critics who are predicting he’s too old to compete at the highest level and confirming he is only focused on the fight against Paul and nothing past that.

“I’m just ready to fight,” Tyson said. He remained stoic throughout the event, answering only the questions assigned to him and letting Paul make bold predictions about how the fight might play out.

Paul asked nine of the 12 fighters on stage for Wednesday’s event to honor a spontaneous bet if he lost to Tyson.

Bets included putting fight purses at stake and as little as $20.

When asked whether he would fight actual boxers (omitting Tyson), Paul brushed off the question but said his goal remains becoming the biggest superstar the sport has ever seen.

“Just excitement,” Paul said. “Excitement. Big fights, big knockouts.

A lot of fighters go in (the ring) and have boring (expletive) fights like Floyd Mayweather (Jr.), and I’ve brought in a lot of excitement to the sport, knocking people out in the biggest platforms possible going against the biggest names and making the matchups fans want to see.“

Tyson said he doesn’t believe in the circus aspect of the fight, treating Paul like any other boxer.

“The people speak for themselves,” Tyson said when addressing the plethora of champions on stage with him. Paul vs. Tyson was initially scheduled for July 20 before Tyson’s ulcer flare-up in late May forced a postponement.

The fight will take place at AT&T Stadium, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

According to moderator and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, 70,000 fans are expected to attend with a limited ticket inventory still available.

The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET and includes four fights.

The co-feature is a rematch over two years in the making, featuring Katie Taylor of Ireland against Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico for the undisputed super lightweight world title.

Taylor won the first bout by split decision after 10 rounds to keep her lightweight crown on May 1, 2022, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.