Mike Tyson, 58, to return to the ring for fight against Youtuber Paul
US boxer Mike Tyson (left) and US boxer-actor Jake Paul (right) face each other during a press conference ahead of their heavyweight bout at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas on November 13, 2024. Timothy A. Clary / AFP
Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut and 19 years after his retirement, 58-year-old Mike Tyson will return to the boxing ring on Friday for a highly controversial Netflix-backed bout against YouTuber Jake Paul, 27.
The fight, which has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world, is officially sanctioned and will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.Tyson, who dominated the heavyweight division in the late 1980s with his fearsome reign, will face Paul in an eight-round, two-minute-per-round match. Originally scheduled for July, the fight was postponed after Tyson required medical treatment following a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, during which he vomited blood due to a bleeding ulcer.
That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday's contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
A global audience of several million watching on Netflix, and tens of thousands inside the AT&T Stadium, will be watching on Friday to see whether Tyson's hard work pays off.
His opponent Paul -- who was born six months before Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear in their infamous 1997 rematch -- rose to prominence as a Youtuber, before turning his attention to boxing.
Since his first fight against a fellow Youtuber in 2018, Paul's opponents have included a basketball player, mixed martial arts fighters and other professional boxers. In 11 fights he has won 10 (seven by knockout) and lost one.
"I feel really good, sharp, powerful and explosive. It's going to be a short night for Mike," Paul said at Tuesday's open workout, where he appeared wearing a bizarre head-dress in the form of a rooster.
It goes without saying that a prime, 1980s-era Tyson would almost certainly have dealt with Paul within a few minutes.
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