Jake Paul To Fight Mike Tyson In July In Live Netflix Special

Influencer Jake Paul will take on former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson in a boxing match on July 20. The fight will air live on Netflix, marking the streaming giant’s first venture into live combat sports.

The event will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which boasts a capacity of around 80,000. It is unclear whether the fight will be a professional bout or an exhibition match, as the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has yet to make a designation for it.

Tyson, who will be 58 in July, has not fought professionally since 2005 and last participated in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. Paul, 27, made his second professional appearance on the Tyson/Jones undercard, defeating retired basketball player Nate Robinson by knockout in the second round.

“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 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.”

Paul has gained considerable attention in the boxing world in recent years, earning highly publicized victories against aging fighters and celebrities in different circles. He won his last fight earlier this month against 35-year-old journeyman Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico.

Tyson is remembered in boxing as one of the most aggressive and tenacious fighters ever, but his opponent in this 2024 fight will be 30 years younger than him. It is the culmination of a years-long branding effort for Paul, but it will be unfamiliar territory for Tyson.

“[Paul has] 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,” Tyson said in a statement. “It’s a full-circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch, as I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to finish him.”

Netflix has begun an aggressive foray into live sports in recent months, airing live tennis and golf specials in recent months. “Paul vs. Tyson” is sure to provide a massive spectacle, as Paul’s MVP Promotions has successfully turned the influencer’s boxing career into a viral sensation, much to the chagrin of traditional boxing fans.

“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.”