The much-anticipated fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson has been rescheduled for Friday, November 15, 2024, and will stream live on Netflix from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This event, which has been the talk of the boxing world, was initially postponed due to Tyson experiencing an ulcer flare-up. “Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me and to MVP, Netflix, and AT&T Stadium for working diligently to find the best reschedule date for all parties,” Tyson said. He added, “While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out.”
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, expressed gratitude for the collaboration and flexibility of their partners. “Our team has worked diligently with all parties involved to reschedule this monumental fight to a date that ensures both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are fully prepared, with equal training time, as well as allowing us to keep the event at AT&T stadium in the midst of the Cowboys season. We appreciate the outstanding dedication, collaboration, and flexibility of our partners at Netflix and AT&T Stadium. Paul vs. Tyson is the most cross-generational sporting event in history, and we are committed to providing fans worldwide with this unforgettable night of boxing, live globally on Netflix. We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday, November 15 for a showdown that will be talked about for generations to come.”
Previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date, and current ticketholders will not need to take further action to retain their tickets and seat locations. Those unable to attend the rescheduled date are eligible for a refund at their original point of purchase until July 8, 2024. To request a refund, contact SeatGeek at [email protected] with the subject line “Paul vs. Tyson.” After July 8, 2024, tickets will no longer be available for a refund.
On May 31, MVP announced the postponement of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson live boxing event from its original date of July 20 to accommodate Tyson’s pause in training. At the time, Tyson told Netflix, “I want to thank my fans around the world for their support and understanding during this time. Unfortunately, due to my ulcer flare-up, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover. My body is in better overall shape than it has been since the 1990s and I will be back to my full training schedule soon. Jake Paul, this may have bought you some time, but in the end, you will still be knocked out and out of boxing for good. I appreciate everyone’s patience and can’t wait to deliver an unforgettable performance later this year.”
Jake Paul also supported the postponement, stating, “I fully support postponing the event so Mike Tyson has no excuses come fight night. My fans know I don’t want to face Iron Mike at anything but his best, but let there be no mistake — when he steps into the ring with me, I will be ready to claim my W with a sensational finish. Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will be one for the ages, and I promise to bring my best for this once-in-a-lifetime matchup.”
For the first time ever, Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) are teaming up for a heavyweight boxing mega-event headlined by Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) versus Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). In the co-main event, undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) will step back in the ring against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs).
Paul, Tyson, Taylor, and Serrano met face-to-face on May 13 at the iconic Apollo Theater in New York City to discuss the upcoming fight in an event hosted by renowned boxing journalist Ariel Helwani. “Mike wanted this to be a pro fight,” Paul said during the press conference. “He wants the war. I respect him for stepping up and trying to put an end to me.” Tyson praised Paul’s character but didn’t mince words. “I really like Jake a lot,” Tyson told the crowd, “But once he’s in the ring he has to fight like his life depends on it — because it will.”
Unified featherweight champion Serrano spoke to the challenge of ascending three divisions to fight Taylor in a lightweight rematch, which requires her to gain about 14 pounds. “Greatness requires sacrifice,” Serrano said. “I’m sacrificing my body to go up three divisions. My power is going to come with me.” Taylor noted that she has no plans to carry on the Serrano vs. Taylor rivalry after the fight later this year. Their infamous 2022 bout at Madison Square Garden ended in a narrow split decision in Taylor’s favor, earning Sports Illustrated’s Fight of the Year and The Ring’s Event of the Year for 2022 honors. “I go into every fight planning to win,” Taylor said. “I beat her the first time and I plan on beating her the second time. The trilogy is not on my mind right now.”
Despite speculation that Paul vs. Tyson would be an unofficial exhibition match, MVP and Holden Boxing announced on April 29 that the heavyweight boxing mega-event will officially be a professional fight, sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). The matchup will be contested over eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves and no headgear. “Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told Netflix. He added that the decision to have two-minute rounds instead of three was an effort to stay true to MVP’s belief that the parameters of sanctioned matches should be determined by the fight.
On May 21, it was announced that India’s No. 1 boxer and MVP’s first international signee Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2, 8 KOs) will fight Brazil’s Whindersson Nunes (2-2-1, 1 KO) in a professional six-round super middleweight bout contested at 165 pounds. The fight will be Goyat’s MVP debut. Also announced on the Paul vs. Tyson card is a fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Darren Till. Scheduled for six rounds in the cruiserweight division, the event will be UK UFC star Till’s professional boxing debut against former WBC middleweight Chavez Jr (53-6-1, 1 NC), the son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez. Finally, there will be a 10-round lightweight fight between undefeated prospects Ashton “H2O” Sylve (11-0, 9 KOs) and Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs).
Tyson’s last sanctioned match took place in 2005 against Irish boxer Kevin McBride. The fight lasted six rounds, and McBride was declared the winner by TKO. However, Tyson’s last exhibition match was much more recent. In May 2021, he faced Evander Holyfield in Miami. The fight went the full eight rounds and ended in a draw. Despite Tyson’s long career, he says Paul’s short time in boxing shouldn’t be an indicator of what he’ll bring to the match. “[Jake has] grown significantly as a boxer over the years,” Tyson says of his opponent, who turned pro in 2020 and was the subject of the documentary anthology series UNTOLD in Jake Paul the Problem Child. “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.”
The event marks Paul’s most anticipated fight to date, following back-to-back sensational knockouts against professional boxers and Golden Gloves winners Ryan Bourland this month and Andre August in December 2023. “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 told Netflix. “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.”
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will be Netflix’s third live sports event, following The Netflix Cup and The Netflix Slam.
Source: ESPN, Netflix
