WeeklySA_AdminDIFFERING: Mike and Jake Paul will wear 14-ounce gloves rather than the standard 10-ounce gloves over eight rounds rather than 10 or 12
By Sports Reporter
MIKE TYSON SAT on the canvas with his back against the ropes, exhausted and defeated.
That was the final image of the once seemingly invincible heavyweight champion in the ring for a sanctioned fight, TKO’d in embarrassing fashion by journeyman Kevin McBride.
Tyson was weeks shy of his 39th birthday for his boxing swan song on June 5, 2005, in Washington, D.C.
“I do not have the guts to be in this sport anymore,” Tyson said after that fight. “I don’t want to disrespect the sport that I love. My heart is not into this anymore. I’m sorry for the fans who paid for this.”
Nearly 20 years later at the age of 58, Tyson will once again lace up the gloves for a sanctioned bout Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (4am South African time on Saturday). His opponent is social media star Jake Paul, who has carved an in-ring career out of novelty fights but has gained respect from top-level boxers such as former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former two-division champion Devin Haney.
Though Paul possessed no boxing background before he turned pro in January 2020, the 27-year-old has developed into a competent boxer, feasting on former UFC fighters with some spectacular KOs. He’s competed 11 times over the past four years and has never been stopped or even knocked down. His only loss was a split decision to Tommy Fury in 2023. Paul is a -235 favorite, per ESPN BET, to defeat Tyson, one of the most recognizable people in the world.
Now, Paul will fight on his biggest stage yet, even if this latest novelty boxing match features him in a headliner against a man 31 years older with a history of health issues.
This event, which was organized by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, features two world title fights on the undercard including a rematch between two-division undisputed champion Katie Taylor and seven-division champ Amanda Serrano. It was originally set for July 20 but was postponed in late May after Tyson suffered an ulcer flareup while on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.
Ulcers occur when stomach acid damages the lining of the digestive tract and results in abdominal pain. Perhaps more worrisome, Tyson revealed on Netflix’s prefight documentary, “Countdown: Paul vs Tyson,” that he threw up blood during that same flight.
“I had a big ulcer, two-and-a-half inches, and it was bleeding,” Tyson said. “All my friends were calling me like I was dying. I asked the doctor if I was going to die, and she didn’t say ‘No.’ … You wouldn’t believe what I endured from my ulcer. I lost 26 pounds.” Tyson and Paul were unavailable for comment to ESPN.
“That was the moment they [MVP] should have realized that this was actually a bad idea,” said Matchroom Boxing CEO Eddie Hearn, one of the sport’s top promoters.
While the fight is sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, there are three major caveats. Tyson and Paul will wear 14-ounce gloves rather than the standard 10-ounce gloves for heavyweight fights; the rounds will be two minutes rather than three minutes; and the fight will be contested over eight rounds rather than 10 or 12.
“It was [Tyson’s] choice, not that Jake didn’t want to do it [as a sanctioned fight],” Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, told ESPN last week. “We were bringing Mike Tyson back into the sport, and I believe that it was more meaningful as a pro fight.”
Hearn will be ringside to support his champion, Taylor, in the co-main event. However, Hearn told BBC Sport last month he will leave his seat before the main event because he doesn’t want to support a bout with a fighter Tyson’s age.
“The reality is that 20 years ago when Mike Tyson retired from the sport he was shot, completely finished,” said Hearn, who sued Paul for defamation in 2022 after the fighter accused him of bribing a boxing judge. “It was actually sad to watch then, 20 years ago.
“…You only need to speak to him and look at him to know this guy should not be in a ring again. … If I was Jake Paul, I’d just feel a little bit embarrassed to be honest with you. … This is dangerous, irresponsible and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the sport of boxing.”
Mike Tyson’s last professional fight was a sixth-round TKO loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005 at the MCI Center in Washington, DC.
