Boxing legend Mike Tyson will put up his gloves and square off against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in July.
Tyson, a former heavyweight champ, will face Paul, a prizefighter, in the boxing ring on July 20 in the main event of a card that will air on Netflix, officials told ESPN. Now 57, Tyson will be 58 years old when the fight takes place, facing off against the much younger Paul, who is 27.
It will mark the first time the streaming company has aired a live combat sport and its third live sporting event overall.
This isn’t the first time Tyson and Paul have appeared on a boxing card together. In 2020, Paul fought in a pay-per-view event that saw him defeat former NBA player Nate Robinson via knockout in the second round.
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In the same event, Tyson fought a bout against Roy Jones Jr., which marked his first boxing match since 2006.
“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.
“My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. This will be the fight of a lifetime.”
In the same statement, Tyson said he’s “very much looking forward” to meeting Paul in the ring.
“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 (Greatest of All Time.) It’s a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch; as I started him off on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him.”
To date, Paul’s pro record features nine wins and one loss, with six knockouts since his January 2020 debut. His most recent win, a TKO, came against Ryan Bourland on March 2. Tyson’s pro record tallies to 50 wins and six losses, with 44 knockouts.
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