On November 15, 2024, boxing witnessed one of the biggest fights in its history. YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul would face off against former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in Arlington, Texas. The organizers originally set the fight, Tyson’s first in 19 years, for July 20th, 2024. However, a flare-up of Tyson’s ulcer forced the original fight to be rescheduled, which raised concerns about his health and age as he prepared to face Paul.
Paul and Tyson had a vicious public feud leading up to the fight, which came to a climax the night before the fight during a press conference. While standing face to face, Tyson slapped Paul in the face. In later interviews, Tyson claimed that Paul intentionally stepped on his toes, which provoked the strike. Leading up to the fight, many expressed worry about Tyson’s health, as he is 31 years older than Jake Paul. The match was live-streamed on Netflix to an audience of 108 million, and brought in the largest boxing gate in US history outside of Las Vegas.
The event’s undercard featured three additional matches, including a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano for the women’s lightweight championship. Paul and Tyson’s fight was supposed to be an exhibition match, but upon request from Jake Paul, the state of Texas sanctioned the fight with an altered rule set. The quarters would be 2 minutes, and the competitors would wear 14-ounce gloves. Jake Paul earned $40 million for the fight, while Mike Tyson earned $20 million.
Many viewers saw the match between Paul and Tyson as a disappointment. Netflix suffered from a plethora of issues, with over 90 million viewers reporting buffering and lagging while using the platform. Although many viewers faced technical difficulties, those who could watch the fight saw Tyson grow exhausted after the first quarter. Eventually, Paul won by unanimous decision. After the match ended, Tyson proclaimed it would not be his last fight as he challenged Jake’s brother Logan Paul, who has found his success in boxing and professional wrestling.
