He’s a YouTuber-turned-boxer in his physical prime at the young age of 27 with a 9-1 record (6 KOs). Who is this ‘Problem Child’, Jake Paul, challenging? The legendary ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’, Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). It will be Iron Mike’s return to the ring for the first time in 19 years since retiring in 2005 after losing to Kevin McBride – not counting the time he faced Evander Holyfield in a 2021 exhibition.
By the time of the fight, Tyson would be 58 years old, marking a 31-year age gap. Not to mention, due to a recent ulcer flare-up and under medical advice, the fight had to be postponed from its original July 20 date, leading to some concerns from the public.
Furthermore, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight has been sanctioned as a professional fight under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations’ rules. That means the heavyweight fight will be contested over eight two-minute rounds. The gentlemen will use 14-ounce gloves (instead of the usual 10-ounce ones) with no headgear while allowing knockouts. The results will affect both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s official boxing records. A lot is at stake.
“Mike wanted this to be a pro fight,” Paul said during a press conference on May 13. “He wants the war. I respect him for stepping up and trying to put an end to me.” Meanwhile, Tyson responded with his fondness for Paul, adding, “But once he’s in the ring, he has to fight like his life depends on it – because it will.”
Following the announcement of the new date for the showdown, and amidst concerns, Tyson remained enthusiastic and had this to say, “Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me. While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out.”
The upcoming heavyweight boxing mega-event will now occur on November 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It’s home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and, with an 80,000-seat capacity, one of the biggest NFL venues. The combination of the two names is enough to drive fans wild, seeing as 120,000 fans signed up for the pre-sale access to tickets. Over 35,000 tickets were sold, fetching over $10M in revenue within the first day of tickets release, and on the secondary market, ticket prices have soared to over $60,000 for ringside seats.
Alternatively, Paul’s promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), have teamed up with Elevate to offer four tiers of VIP packages for a more luxurious, unforgettable experience. It starts with the VIP Contender Package, offering a base of premium floor seats, fighter-walk lounge hospitality access, pre-fight VIP events, parking and expedited entry. The next two tiers above it – VIP Champion Package and Ringside VVIP Package – offer additional photo ops and a signed glove for the latter.
The ultimate VIP package to catch the Paul-Tyson showdown, though, is the $2 million MVP Owner’s Experience, which includes:
– 2 Apron Suite seats + 8 ringside seats
– Exclusive stadium arrival experience
– Personal car service and security escort
– Private green room
– Top-shelf open bar, all-inclusive menu
– Locker room visit and pre-fight photo op with fighters
– Signed gloves from Paul and Tyson
– Post-fight in-ring photo op
– Onstage spot at the weigh-in
– 2-night stay at a penthouse suite of the Loews Hotel Suite + 4 additional rooms
– Front-row seats to fight week events
– Private luxury mini-coach transportation to events
According to MVP, the $2M MVP Owner’s Experience package “is anchored by two ringside apron seats (owner’s seats) that have never been offered in boxing before, as well as four first-row floor seats and four second-row floor seats for the event.”
MVP also released an announcement that the tickets originally purchased for the July fight will continue to be honoured in November, though refunds were also possible in case of travel or schedule conflicts.
“[Jake has] grown significantly as a boxer over the years,” Tyson had earlier commented. “It will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT.”
Boxing enthusiasts might recall that the social media star turned pro in 2020 and started his career in the ring on the undercard of Tyson’s exhibition clash with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. “It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul told Netflix. “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.”
The high-profile fight between Paul and Tyson will also be streamed live on Netflix with no additional charge, but can that truly beat watching one of the biggest fights in history up-close, ringside?
Tickets for the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight can be purchased via SeatGeek, while the VIP packages are available on Elevate.
