Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are getting ready to face off in a boxing match this November. The fight will be streamed live on Netflix, marking the platform's first venture into live boxing events.
Tyson, the former world heavyweight champion, is 57 years old and hasn't fought professionally since 2005. He still holds the record as the youngest ever world heavyweight champion. Paul, on the other hand, is a YouTuber-turned-fighter who's 30 years younger than Tyson. He's had 11 fights so far, with his only loss coming against Tommy Fury.
The age difference between the two fighters and Tyson's long absence from professional boxing have stirred up some controversy. The fight was initially set for an earlier date but got pushed back due to concerns about Tyson's health.
Netflix has confirmed that the fight will be eight rounds long, with each round lasting two minutes. The fighters will use 14-ounce gloves.
Robert Garcia, a top trainer who's worked with Anthony Joshua and currently trains Jesse Rodriguez, shared his thoughts on the matchup with ES News:
"There's no way… It's like people saying Mike Tyson's gonna go out and knock [Jake Paul] out – Mike Tyson lost 20 years ago to bums. He lost in real fights to bums, maybe more than 20 years ago, cause he's 60."
Garcia's statement refers to Tyson's last professional fights. In 2004, Tyson was knocked out by Danny Williams. His final professional bout came in 2005 against Kevin McBride, who had a record of 32-4-1. Tyson retired in his corner midway through that fight, resorting to dirty tactics and clearly not wanting to be there. After the fight, he announced that the sport had left him.
The upcoming match between Tyson and Paul has got people talking. With such a big age gap and Tyson's long time away from the ring, it's sure to be an interesting event. We'll have to wait and see how it all unfolds when they step into the ring in November.
