‘You should be ashamed of yourself’: Fighters hit out at Jake Paul over Mike Tyson announcement

Social media star-turned-boxer Jake Paul will combat former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on July 20 in Texas, Netflix says. 

The streaming platform will present dwell protection of the bout between the 27-year-old Paul and 57-year-old Tyson, who hasn’t fought since he took on Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition in November 2020.

Paul and Tyson would be the most important occasion of the primary fight sports activities present for Netflix in its current forays into dwell sports activities manufacturing.

It is nonetheless unsure whether or not this bout will probably be staged as an precise professional combat or an exhibition, significantly given the age of Tyson, who will probably be 58 by July.

The specifics nonetheless should be permitted by the Texas Division of Licensing and Regulation, which regulates boxing within the state.

Tyson posts exercise movies on social media wherein he seems to be sharp in coaching, however boxing is harmful at any age. The California State Athletic Fee required his bout towards Jones to be an exhibition — primarily a energetic sparring session.

Paul constructed a major fan following as a YouTube influencer earlier than he launched into an expert boxing profession 4 years in the past. He has received 9 of 10 fights with six knockouts towards principally undistinguished opponents, together with a number of combined martial artists and a fellow YouTuber.

His solely loss got here final 12 months to Tommy Fury, the less-accomplished half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

“My sights are set on turning into a world champion, and now I’ve an opportunity to show myself towards the best heavyweight champion of the world, the baddest man on the planet and essentially the most harmful boxer of all time. Time to place Iron Mike to sleep,” Paul wrote on X, previously Twitter.

Tyson was the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987-90. He retired in 2005 after profitable 50 fights, 44 by knockout. His entertaining exhibition bout with Jones was unofficially dominated a draw.

“I am very a lot trying ahead to entering into the ring with Jake Paul on the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” mentioned Tyson, who was within the crowd in Saudi Arabia final 12 months when Paul misplaced to Fury.

“He is grown considerably as a boxer through the years, so will probably be a whole lot of enjoyable to see what the desire and ambition of a ‘child’ can do with the expertise and aptitude of a GOAT. It is a full circle second that will probably be past thrilling to look at; as I began him off on his boxing journey on the undercard of my combat with Roy Jones and now I plan to complete him.”

Paul had his second professional bout on the undercard of the Tyson-Jones combat, knocking out former NBA participant Nate Robinson. His most up-to-date combat was final Saturday, when he stopped journeyman skilled boxer Ryan Bourland.

The announcement has not been acquired nicely by many within the business.

“You ought to be ashamed of your self,” UFC nice Michael Bisping tweeted to Paul.

“And the largest joke is you do not even barely realise why.”

Dillon Danis, a combined martial artist who misplaced a boxing bout with Paul in 2023, additionally hit out.

“You are combating somebody who was born in 1966,” Danis wrote.

“Have some disgrace.”

Paul has progressively raised his degree of competitors lately whereas pursuing his dream of combating for an actual world title. A bout towards the still-revered Tyson can be a sidestep on that quest, however nonetheless his highest-profile stage but.

The combat card on the Dallas Cowboys’ residence stadium would be the third enterprise into dwell sporting occasions for Netflix, which staged a golf/auto racing crossover occasion final November. Final weekend, the streaming big held The Netflix Slam, an exhibition tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas.

AP