The highly anticipated boxing match between YouTube sensation Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has been generating buzz, and the press conferences leading up to the fight have only intensified the excitement.
Final Press Conference in Irving, Texas
On Wednesday night in Irving, Texas, Mike Tyson, 58, and Jake Paul, 27, faced off, heightening anticipation for their upcoming bout. The event took place at the Toyota Music Factory.
The Friday night fight, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, will be streamed on Netflix. Netflix also livestreamed the press conference - the final one before the fight - that was a contrast in styles.
Tyson, the former heavyweight champion, was a man of few words at the event at Toyota Music Factory on Wednesday night. "I’m just looking forward to fighting," Tyson said.
Paul arrived for Wednesday's press conference with something shiny around his right ear. Paul wore a black sleeveless T-shirt that looked dusted with glitter, and sunglasses. “I fear no man, so I want him to be that old savage Mike,’’ Paul said. “... I’m ready. I want that killer. I want the hardest match possible Friday night and I want there to be no excuses from everyone at home when I knock him out.’’
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With the men sitting about 15 feet apart, Paul looked at Tyson and said, “So is that what you’re going to bring, homicidal?’’
Tyson just stared ahead. Would he go homicidal Friday night, Paul wanted to know? Tyson, 58, wore a black T-shirt and a dark jean-style jacket and pants.
“I’m not getting my (expletive) bit off on Friday night, so I got my diamond-spiked ear covers right there,’’ Paul said, a reference to Tyson famously biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1997 fight.
Tyson did not react - a departure from the often jovial demeanor shown by the former world heavyweight champion during the buildup to the fight. He has grown increasingly disengaged as the bout approaches.
He has grown increasingly disengaged as the bout approaches. Tyson was 50-6 with 44 knockouts before retiring 19 years ago. Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition four years ago that ended in a tie. Paul is 10-1 with 7 KOs in his time as a boxer.
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“I am not going to lose,” Tyson said, his voice rising the second time it was asked. Tyson did get briefly riled up when somebody asked twice what he would do if he lost.
The social media star says his jump from YouTube into the ring has brought new energy back to boxing. "I've brought a lot of excitement to the sport, knocking people out in the biggest platforms possible, going against the biggest names," said Paul.
Apollo Theater Press Conference in New York
Following Monday's press conference at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City, this is the second of two planned meetings with the media for Tyson and Paul ahead of their fight.
The pair kicked off their press tour at the Jacob Javits Center ahead of their rescheduled November 15 date. Mike tyson as there will be a press conference taking place on may 13.
The Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight got a little more juice as the New York City press conference ended with an assertion of dominance. In a press conference, Paul stated “A lot of people are doubting me. I go onto the Instagram comments and I see them all saying, ‘If Jake wins this fight, it’s rigged’ because of how incredible he looks. Age doesn’t matter. Age is just a number. He’s a killer, he’s a warrior, he’s been doing this his whole, entire life, so it’s second nature to him.
Read also: The Legend of Iron Mike
Monday, May 13, 2024Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) have partnered to present Paul vs. Tyson, a once in a lifetime heavyweight boxing mega-event headlined by The Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) vs. the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). The two will come face to face in a press conference on The Apollo stage leading up to their July 20th boxing event.
During the weigh-in the day prior to the match, Paul stepped on Tyson's toes; Tyson has been on record stating he has foot problems due to health issues including sciatica, and has an aversion to people stepping on them. Tyson slapped Paul across the face, afterwards telling the New York Post "I was in my socks and he had on shoes. He stepped on my toe because he is a fucking asshole. I wanted to think it happened by accident. But now I think it may have happened on purpose," adding "I was in a lot of pain.
Fight Details
The Tyson-Paul fight will be Friday, Nov. 15. There are 7 total fights on the card.
The bout has been a long time coming. It was originally scheduled for this July, but had to be postponed after Tyson had a medical emergency.
The fighter was treated for a stomach ulcer and has been cleared to fight, according to Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. The State of Texas agreed to sanction the fight that other states would not.
The bout was eight rounds of two minutes each (two minute rounds are used in women's and amateur masters boxing) with 14-ounce gloves (slightly lighter than the masters boxing rule of 16 ounces).
The bout will be eight rounds instead of 10 or 12, with two-minute rounds instead of three, and heavier gloves designed to lessen the power of punches.
How Jake Paul Keeps Winning Fights
Here's a look at the Paul-Tyson Undercard:
- Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano
- Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos
- Shadasia Green vs. Melinda Watpool
- Lucas Bahdi vs. Armando Casamonica
- Bruce Carrington vs. Dana Coolwell
- Neeraj Goyat vs. Whindersson Nunes
Tickets for the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are on sale at various platforms, including Seat Geek, Stub Hub, Vivid Seats, and Ticketmaster.
Controversies and Criticisms
Many criticized Paul for fighting Tyson due to the significant age difference. The 31-year age difference between Tyson and Paul is the largest age difference in professional boxing history. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland criticized Paul on X, stating, "this should be illegal" and called Paul a clown, with former Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis agreeing. Fellow YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI described the bout on Instagram as "elderly abuse".
In response, Tyson had cited his years of training, calling himself a “different species of human being”. In a press conference with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Tyson distinguished biological age from chronological age, stating “Our man's biggest downfall is to believe we have limitations and that's what we do, we believe we're a certain amount of age”.