The highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight has captured the attention of the world. The bout between Paul and Tyson was sanctioned as a professional bout. Here's a comprehensive look at the fighters' records, key stats, and the controversies surrounding this unique event.
Fight Details
- Date: Friday, Nov. 15
- Streaming: Netflix
The fight was available for streaming on Netflix. Netflix has been criticized for widespread technical difficulties that plagued the event's livestream. Many viewers tuning in were unable to watch the fight due to buffering.
Fighter Statistics
Before the pair started their bout, here's a look at each fighter's career boxing stats.
Mike Tyson
- Age: 58 years old
- Height: 5'10"
- Weight: 228.4 pounds
- Reach: 71 inches
- Record: 50-6 (44 KOs), with 2 no-contests
At 20 years and 4 months old, Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history in 1986 after defeating Trevor Berbick. Tyson's record still stands to this day.
Tyson started his career with a 37-0 record with 33 knockouts. Tyson's first loss came in shocking fashion to Buster Douglas in 1990. After a nearly three-year prison sentence, Tyson returned to boxing in 1995 and won four straight fights, before losing back-to-back bouts against Evander Holyfield. Following those defeats, Tyson fought just 10 more times before retiring. He went 5-3 with two no-contests in that span.
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Mike Tyson's last official fight came in 2005, a defeat at the hands of Kevin McBride via sixth-round TKO. Since then, Tyson has avoided the ring almost entirely. He returned for an exhibition match in November 2020 against former heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. Most people who witnessed that exhibition bout believe Tyson dominated the fight. However, the contest was ruled a draw.
Jake Paul
- Age: 27 years old
- Height: 6'1"
- Weight: 227.2 pounds
- Reach: 76 inches
- Record: 10-1 (7 KOs)
Paul's professional boxing career began in January 2020 with a win over Ali Eson Gib. Since then, Paul has had a plethora of fights against former NBA players and former MMA fighters, including well-respected fighters like Anderson Silva and Ben Askren. Although neither of those fighters are known for their prowess in boxing.
Paul's only loss came on Feb. 26, 2023 against Tommy Fury. Fury won by split-decision. Since then, Paul has won each of his last four fights.
Jake Paul's most recent fight came earlier this year on July 20. Paul defeated Mike Perry via sixth-round TKO after putting Perry on the floor three times. July 20 was originally supposed to be the date for Tyson vs. Paul; however, Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up just before the date, pushing the match back to Nov. 15.
Paul has a 10-1 record in eleven fights since he started boxing nearly five years ago. Paul has only lost one fight against Tommy Fury, according to ESPN. He's won four straight bouts since that defeat in early 2023.
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In addition to fighting against Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Paul has squared off against several notable fighters with mixed martial arts experience. That list includes Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz, as well as Olympic wrestler turned MMA fighter Ben Askren.
Paul also stepped into the ring against former NBA player Nate Robinson in 2020 and topped Ali Eson Gib in his first fight.
Age Disparity
But perhaps the biggest factor is the age disparity between the two, which spans just over three decades. The 31-year difference between Tyson and Paul is set to be the biggest age gap in a boxing match. Previously, the biggest age gap for a professional right was 24 years. "Old Mongoose" Archie Moore suited up for his last professional bout at age 49, taking on 25-year-old "Iron" Mike DiBiase (adoptive father of WWE icon Ted DiBiase) in 1963. It was also DiBiase's last professional fight, as Moore won in a knockout.
Controversies and Reactions
The fight was sanctioned as a professional bout by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, with some regulations based on masters boxing for amateur participants over 35. 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).
In the first round, both fighters entered in an orthodox stance, both throwing punches at each other. However, by the second round, Tyson seemed to have already been tired out and had lost momentum, which is a pattern that would continue throughout the fight. Paul won via unanimous decision.
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Many criticized Paul for fighting Tyson due to the significant age difference. 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”.
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.
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.
Following the fight, a number of outlets expressed concerns that the fight was staged.