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3rd April 2024
01:58pm BST
Mike Tyson has admitted he's "scared to death" about fighting Jake Paul this summer in their exhibition bout.
'Iron Mike' will go up against the YouTuber-turned-boxer in Arlington, Texas on July 20 and in what has already become one of the most talked-about fights of 2024. The fight will also be streamed on Netflix, meaning it looks set to be one of the most-watched boxing events of the year.
But by the time the fight comes round, Tyson will be 58-years-old and Paul will be 27. The social media star has also stepped in a ring much more recently that the former heavyweight champion. As a consequence, people have been keen to know what the rules for the fight are, and how close similar to a professional bout it will be.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Tyson confirmed the fight has not been officially sanctioned as a professional fight, and that it is an exhibition bout. However, he assured fans that this won't take away from the intensity of the event. Tyson commented:
“This is called an exhibition, but if you look up exhibition, you will not see any of the laws that we are fighting under, this is a fight.
“I don’t think he’s faster than me. I’ve seen a YouTube of him at 16 doing weird dances, that’s not the guy I’m going to be fighting.
All fights – professional, amateur and exhibition – must be licensed by a commission. Exhibition bouts, though, do not need to be sanctioned by a governing body. The upcoming bout being classed as an exhibition also means it is unlikely to go the full 12 rounds. There is a greater chance of it being six to eight three-minute rounds, or 10 two-minute rounds.
Jake Paul usually participates in professional fights, fully licensed and sanctioned, despite being a relatively recent convert to boxing. His professional record, albeit against some content creators, retired sports stars and UFC fighters, is 9-1.
Mike Tyson admitted that, at the moment, the prospect of fighting Paul is a scary one for him.
He continued: “This guy’s gonna come, he’s gonna try and hurt me which I’m accustomed to and he’s gonna be greatly mistaken.
“Right now, I’m scared to death but as the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become because it’s reality, and in reality, I’m invincible.”
People didn't sound too convinced by the words of Mike Tyson, in his Fox interview, with one person writing: "Nah, it's a sparring session Mike."
Another said: "If he has to sell to the public 'it's a real fight' guess what... it's not gonna be a real fight."
Others reckoned Tyson's words showed he was taking the bout seriously even if it was an exhibition, and wondered if Paul knew what he was coming up against.
One user commented: "Jake should've known Mike Tyson doesn't f**k around when he's got a fight booked. He probably thought Mike wouldn't take it seriously but he'll train the same for anyone whether it's a YouTuber or the heavyweight champ."
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