By: Nick Gambino
In a truly surprising match-up, Mike Tyson will fight Jake Paul in a boxing match that will stream live on Netflix. There are so many parts of that sentence that feel like a fever dream.
Paul is a former YouTube star who has been making his bones on the professional boxing circuit for a few years now. Tyson, of course, is the former heavyweight boxing champion and widely considered the most fierce fighter to ever step into the ring.
That said, Iron Mike will turn 58 in July and is not the same spry, angry and bulldozing boxer he once was, having barely stepped into the ring professionally in the last two decades. On the other hand, Paul, although most known as a social media influencer, is only 27 and has KO’d 6 out of his 10 fights, winning 9. The quality of those opponents is widely argued, however.
“My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion of the world, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time,” Paul said in a mostly respectful post on X. “Time to put Iron Mike to sleep.”
The fight will air live on Netflix on July 20th. The ring will be in AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys. The arena seats 80,000 and if they have all seats available, I have a feeling there won’t be any problem filling it. The chance to see Tyson throwing lethal fists in a ring again is akin to seeing Jordan throw on a Jersey and take to the courts.
It’s JAKE PAUL vs. MIKE TYSON — yes, really! — in a LIVE BOXING event at AT&T Stadium you won’t want to miss. Airing live on Netflix Saturday, July 20 #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/ULXVeCYeH6
— Netflix (@netflix) March 7, 2024
“I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” the former heavyweight champion said in a statement. “He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so 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.”
This event further cements Netflix’s plans to broadcast live sporting events. Just last month they announced a deal with WWE to stream Monday Night Raw live every week starting in 2025.
