Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you will know that the heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou is taking place this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What you might not know is that amid the media furore surrounding the clash of two man-mountains, another crossover fight made the news today, and it has taken most people by surprise.
Jake Paul’s next opponent
Netflix, the juggernaut of streaming services, announced it will be making a move towards streaming boxing events. On Saturday, July 20, the YouTube star turned professional boxer, Jake Paul, will take on Mike Tyson (yes, you heard that correctly) at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T stadium.
The announcement was surprising from many angles. After beginning his boxing career in 2020, Jake Paul turned his attention from fighting influencers and an NBA star towards retired MMA fighters for the most part. Against many people’s predictions, he knocked out former UFC welterweight and defeated MMA legend Anderson Silva. Despite the achievements, criticism came Jake Paul’s way for fighting people deemed past their prime.
After amassing a 6-0 record, Paul decided to fight a legitimate boxer, Tommy Fury – brother of the WBC champion Tyson – and lost a split decision. Determined to make a name for himself in professional boxing, he then fought and beat active MMA fighter Nate Diaz before trying to gain more credibility with hardcore boxing fans by competing against more professional boxers.
Now, he’s returned to competing against a retired fighter, but this feels different for more than one reason. Firstly, his opponent, Mike Tyson, is one of the scariest boxers of his generation, albeit his prime was in the late nineties. At 57 years old, Tyson is 30 years senior and more than double the age of Jake Paul.
Mike Tyson last fought in November 2020 in an exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr., a contest that drew much criticism from the public due to the dangers presented to both men, given their age at the time. Tyson’s last professional fight was in June 2005 against Kevin McBride when Jake Paul was eight years old.
Should Paul vs. Tyson be happening?
Well, it depends which way you look at it. The main argument against it would be the age and inactivity of the youngest-ever heavyweight world champion. Boxing at the age of 57 against somebody much younger, fitter, and more active could pose significant health risks. Others will say that Mike Tyson will obliterate Jake Paul. For a long time, the ‘Baddest Man On The Planet’ was also one of the most feared, and despite his age, he shouldn’t have much issue beating a man who isn’t a top-level boxer.
Someone who isn’t in favor of the fight taking place is former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who aimed this comment towards Jake Paul on X today: ”You should be ashamed of yourself. And the biggest joke is you don’t even slightly realize why.”
A lack of respect from Jake Paul in arranging a fight with a legend of the sport who is closer to retirement age than his forties? That’s a view that many will share, particularly other ex-fighters, as they understand the dangers associated with fighting much more than ordinary folk.
Why isn’t it on PPV?
The fight has already drawn criticism for happening in the first place, and negative attitudes towards the bout will become more apparent as we get closer to July 20, particularly if Mike Tyson doesn’t look great in any training footage. It’s unlikely that the fight will draw huge numbers despite Paul fighting one of the highest-earning boxers of all time. Many Gen-Z’ers won’t know much about Tyson, and most boomers won’t know who Jake Paul is. The age gap is so vast that many people are only familiar with one person on the main card.
Having the fight stream on Netflix captures a huge audience. Netflix has 260 million subscribers, and even if you don’t have a subscription yourself, you’ll know many people who do. Paul vs. Tyson will be accessible to the masses. A victory for Jake would generate headlines, possibly even for the wrong reasons, but headlines nonetheless.
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