Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul: Live updates, start time, how to watch and expert picks

MIKE TYSON

Age: 58

Hometown: Henderson, Nev.

Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Record: 50-6, 44 KOs

Nickname: Iron Mike

Total rounds fought: 215

Knockout Ratio: 88%

Height: 5 feet 10 inches

Reach: 71 inches

Weight: 228.4 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Trainers: Billy White and Rafael Cordeiro

Turned Professional: 1985

Notable wins: Michael Spinks, Tony Tucker, Larry Holmes, Trevor Berbick, Frank Bruno (twice), Donovan Ruddock (twice)

Notable losses: Evander Holyfield (twice), Lennox Lewis, Buster Douglas

JAKE PAUL

Jake Paul works out Tuesday ahead of his boxing match against Mike Tyson.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Age: 27

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Residence: Dorado, Puerto Rico

Record: 10-1, 7 KOs

Nickname: The Problem Child

Total rounds fought: 52

Knockout Ratio: 70%

Height: 6 feet 1 inch

Reach: 76 inches

Weight: 227.2 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Trainer: J’Leon Love and Larry Wade

Turned Professional: 2019

Notable wins: Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley (twice), Ben Askren, Mike Perry

Notable loss: Tommy Fury

The card headlined by Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) vs. Jake Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) will stream on Netflix beginning at 5 p.m. PDT and will be complemented by three other fights.

In the co-main event, Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) and Amanda Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) will meet in a highly anticipated rematch for the undisputed super lightweight title after their thrilling 2021 fight that sold out the Madison Square Garden in New York. Taylor eeked out a split-decision win in the women’s fight of the year.

Katie Taylor acknowledges the crowd during her weigh-in Thursday.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Preceding Taylor vs. Serrano will be WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) defending his title against Abel Ramos (28-6-2, 22 KOs).

Kicking off the card will be a contest between super middleweight Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2, 8 KOs) and professional debuting fighter Whindersson Nunes.

The preliminary card will kick off on the Most Valuable Promotions’ YouTube page, the Netflix Sports YouTube and Tudum beginning at 2:30 p.m. PDT with the following fights.

• Bruce Carrington (13-0, 8 KOs) vs. Dana Coolwell (13-2, 8 KOs) — eight rounds, featherweight
• Lucas Bahdi (17-0, 15 KOs) vs. Armando Casamonica (14-0, 3 KOs) — 10 rounds, super lightweight
• Shadasia Green (14-1, 11 KOs) vs. Melinda Watpool (7-0, 2 KOs) — 10 rounds for the vacant WBO super middleweight title

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The bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will be a professional boxing match and reflected on their records, but it was sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation with a special set of rules.

The fight is scheduled for eight rounds at two minutes each instead of the traditional three minutes per round.

Both fighters will wear 14-ounce gloves instead of the customary 10-ounce gloves fighters wear.

What a weird event. I can’t think of anything even remotely like this in terms of the level of fighters, celebrity and their ages. It’s a cynical cash grab. I can’t see it being particularly entertaining as a high-level sporting event but I’m sure once it starts you won’t be able to take your eyes off it. That’s not always a positive thing to say, bear in mind. I fear for Mike. Fourteen-ounce gloves won’t protect his brain from further damage and he’s 58 years old. He was a spent bullet two decades ago and he’s hardly lived the life since. If it’s a staged show, like an odd sitcom, I could see a draw. But if it is an actual sport then the average Paul can cover up for two minutes, ride out the early storm, and batter the exhausted Tyson into defeat.

— Tris Dixon, editor in chief, Boxing Scene

My first instinct on this “fight” prediction is to ask: Is this a serious question? Do we think there’s a chance either guy can win? That both will try their damndest to win? That kismet and time and circumstances will make this competitive in any sort of real way? I’ll be watching. But I just don’t see it. I see a glorified exhibition that will make a lot of people a lot of money. I see a “professional” boxer in Paul who deserves more credit than given for his actual in-ring improvements, but whose record, in those pro ranks, is hard to take seriously. Like: we’re really going to count KO-ing a far smaller, far lighter, far older retired NBA guard as a “pro” win? Come on! I don’t mind the Jake Paul experience in an overall sense. It should just be framed in the right ways. Which leads to the prediction here: 1) The fight will be a spectacle. 2) It’ll be kinda cool to watch boxing, even this kind of “boxing,” on Netflix. 3) They’ll either tie or Tyson will win by decision. 4) The fight itself will not be much of one. 5) The ratio of revenue earned to the actual risk taken will continue to incentivize those involved with the recent trend of gimmick fights. Although, all that said, I’m sure I’m not alone in saying ... it sure would be fun to see Tyson knock Paul into next week, no? Instant national hero status if that happens.

— Greg Bishop, Sports Illustrated senior writer

A battle for the ages, or maybe just age. But make no mistake about it – it’s a huge marketing event with a massive audience guaranteed. Jake Paul gets to realize his dream having been caught by the boxing bug, and Mike Tyson looks to find the fire in him one more time. Nearly three decades apart in age, Paul’s fans believe their guy can defeat a boxing icon. In my opinion, if Paul can keep the fight going into the eighth round he could get the decision. For the first two rounds, Tyson will look to eviscerate Paul. If he catches Paul, it could all be over. But Paul will stay on the outside and also hold, as the much heavier man. It even feels slightly bizarre writing a preview on this, but we are where we are. Personally, I had to be here to witness what will be a record-breaking event.

— Gareth A. Davies, boxing correspondent, Daily Telegraph

Who would have ever thought that Tyson would be in a marketable boxing match at 58? The outcome to this fight depends on which half it ends. If it ends early, it could be a Tyson KO. That is when he’ll have energy and will likely be very aggressive. If it goes later, then Paul is in a better position to win by a late stoppage or decision. Honestly, I can’t say with conviction which scenario will play out.

— Al Bernstein, broadcaster, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee

I genuinely thought I would go to my grave knowing that I did the blow-by-blow of Mike Tyson’s final professional fight. No, I don’t count Tyson’s bout with Corey Sanders in 2006, nor his 2020 fight against Roy Jones Jr. Those were exhibition matches. Mike’s last “official” fight, one of many Tyson fights I called, including the infamous “Bite Fight,” was June 11, 2005, in Washington, D.C. when he said enough is enough prior to the seventh round against a journeyman named Kevin McBride. Tyson was just shy of his 39th birthday. So now we have Tyson-Paul. It’s sanctioned in Texas, but to me it doesn’t feel like the real deal. I give Mike a lot of credit for getting himself in excellent condition some 19 years after his last officially sanctioned bout. Given my respect for Mike’s ring skills in his prime and the many thrills he provided for us on Showtime Championship Boxing through the years, my heart is with Team Tyson. While the Hall of Famer clearly owns the experience factor, the 31-year age difference is obviously concerning. The biggest winner of the night will probably be Netflix.

— Steve Albert, broadcaster, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee

I have too much respect for boxing and its legends to want to see someone like Jake Paul stopping Mike Tyson. But it’s hard to ignore that 31-year age difference and I think the referee is going to have a quick trigger finger when it comes to stopping the fight. I would love to be wrong and see Mike obliterate Jake, but I don’t anticipate that happening. Paul by late stoppage, but this is the last outcome I want to see.

— Kevin Iole, founder, KevinIole.com

Tyson is an iconic fighter and one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time. When I first started covering boxing it was at the tail end of Tyson’s career about 25 years ago and when I covered what we all thought was his final fight against Kevin McBride almost 20 years ago he was a completely shot fighter in his late 30s then. He will not have improved 20 years later. Father Time is forever undefeated. This is not the Tyson so many romanticize about. And while Jake is no top contender, he is strong, hungry, 27 and not used up. Tyson will give it a go but get stopped or quit.

— Dan Rafael, founder, Fight Freaks Unite

The only sure winner is Netflix, which has managed to turn the enduring fascination in Mike Tyson into an event that figures to draw a much bigger audience for a real heavyweight fight, Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2, next month. There’s just not much real fury left in Mike anymore. It’s a memory, both for him and young fans who for some reason think the 58-year-old Tyson can conquer Father Time and Jake Paul. He can’t. The 27-year-old Paul knows that. Time is more than Paul’s ally. It, more than Paul, will beat Tyson. It beats us all, perhaps because of an unforeseen injury or just because of an inevitable erosion in reflexes and energy.

Evander Holyfield beat Tyson twice. Twenty-four years after their infamous Bite Fight, a 58-year-old Holyfield lost to a mix-martial-arts fighter, Vitor Belfort, who agreed to do the event just eight days before the show. Within two minutes of opening bell, Holyfield went down, falling to the canvas in a chaotic crash of uncoordinated legs and limbs. Holyfield got up, but without any of the instinctive response he would’ve had three decades earlier. It was gone, washed away by nearly three decades. He was finished a minute into the first round. It was sad, yet inevitable. Then. And now. Exactly when and how that inevitability will arrive Friday night? Impossible to say. But it will. Best guess: Tyson surrenders to time and Paul sometime after the fifth round.

— Norm Frauenheim, writer, the Boxing Hour

There are a few scenarios of how Mike Tyson’s return can go. If you look at the failed return of Evander Holyfield, there can be real fears of Mike being knocked out early at his age. The punch resistance and movement just aren’t there anymore as he approaches his 60s, no matter how hard he trains. However, Mike is well capable of pulling out one of his old deadly hooks or a thunderous uppercut to take Paul out early. The smart money, though, should be on a clinchfest going the distance to save face for both. At 10/1 there could be money to be made as Paul won’t want the fallout that will come if he knocks out an old, aged and slow Tyson.

— Phil Jay, editor, World Boxing News

The sanctioned eight-round fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will be the topic of discussion worldwide until the bell rings for round one of their fight. Unfortunately, once the fight begins, the reality of those remixed 10-second training videos from Tyson’s Instagram account will poke its ugly head out. Tyson will show flashes of his former self in the first three rounds. After Paul weathers that storm, he will box his way to a split decision victory, which not only gives him the win but also saves face with the man who used to be once known as “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”

— Abraham Gonzalez, founder, FightsATW.com

How can I possibly pick the winner of something that looks more like a “money grab” than a fight? It’s an event between an influencer who barely has enough fights to be an open-class amateur and a 58-year-old ex-fighter who lost his last two fights over 20 years ago. I know. I’ll flip a coin. Heads say Tyson wins. Tails it’s Paul. Hold on — It’s heads. Tyson wins! Decision or knockout? I’ll flip again. Heads says Tyson by KO. Tails, it’ll be a decision. It’s tails! There you go: Tyson wins by decision, and that’s the only real way I can make a pick for an event like this.

— Randy Gordon, SiriusXM Fight Nation host of “At the Fights”

I’m not going to waste my time and write a few hundred words as to why this bout shouldn’t be happening. It’s OK to embrace the circus sometimes. Mike Tyson and his legacy will be fine. It’s only eight, two-minute rounds with bigger gloves to minimize power punches. Hopefully, with these rules, the 58-year-old Tyson can take Jake Paul to school. Paul’s a great promoter for the sport, but most of his success in the ring has occurred against over-the-hill MMA fighters. The YouTuber lost to the one true professional boxer he’s faced, and that was against Tommy Fury, who’s not even close to being a championship-level fighter. So Tyson does have a chance of pulling off the upset, giving us enough reason to tune in on Friday. And why not watch it? It’s not on pay-per-view for an absurd price. Most of us have Netflix already. Hopefully, this is the beginning of boxing going away from the outdated PPV model. Now that I somehow found a way to endorse this spectacle that’s happening in Jerry’s World, I’m taking Tyson by decision. Shock the world, Iron Mike!

— Gilberto Manzano, staff writer, Sports Illustrated & co-founder of Compas on the Beat

It’s happening whether you like it or not. The 58-year-old Tyson is taking it seriously, abstaining from alcohol and cannabis while training. He looks fit and huge. But Father Time can only give so much. The 27-year-old Paul makes up for lack of skills with youth and power. It’s a boxing truism that power is the last skill to go. But power alone isn’t enough. Ask Anderson Silva, who didn’t have the skills at 47 to prevail over Paul. Lacking speed and footwork, Tyson won’t beat Paul. I dearly hope Paul and Tyson agreed on a script where Paul bests Tyson by decision. Paul gets credit for winning and not getting knocked out. Tyson gets credit for lasting until the bell and taking fans down memory lane without getting hurt.

— Gayle Falkenthal, West Coast bureau chief, NYFights.com

I can’t believe I’m making a prediction for a “fight” between 58-year-old Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, a big, strong man 31 years his junior. If this were an exhibition, one in which the participants dance a bit and trade a few light punches, that would be acceptable. However, somehow Texas authorities designated this a sanctioned bout, which leaves Tyson in a perilous position. The former heavyweight champion looked horrible in his last sanctioned bout, a sixth-round knockout loss to journeyman Kevin McBride. And that was almost two decades ago. Paul isn’t an elite boxer, but he’s young and has learned enough to handle himself against a shell of a fighter, whose training videos are deceptive. If the participants actually try to hurt each other, Paul will stop Tyson with an accumulation of punches. We can only hope that the old man doesn’t get seriously hurt.

— Michael Rosenthal, boxing writer

At 27, Jake Paul has become a decent boxer and has something precious on his side: youth. At 58, Mike Tyson should worry more about his health than winning this fight. Due to the considerable age difference, talking about boxing skills and talent is useless. There is also the possibility of an unexpected outcome since we are talking about a YouTuber fighting a 58-year-old on Netflix, and anything can happen on these types of shows. I hope we don’t see an embarrassing performance by Tyson, like when 58-year-old Evander Holyfield was beaten by Vitor Belfort three years ago. Jake Paul wins comfortably.

— Eduard Cauich, sports reporter, L.A. Times en Español

Tyson could barely hold it against 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. back in an exhibition match in November 2020, what makes you think he’ll do better against a 27-year-old bad boy in Jake Paul? Not that “Iron Mike” isn’t a bad boy himself in the ring, but he is 58 years old. Tyson, one of the greatest to ever do it, might have recovered from ulcer flare-up that impeded the fight to happen back in July, but he can’t stop time, and time isn’t in his favor. Paul might want to play the waiting game to tire Tyson and then go deep into the attack to secure a stoppage. But I see a Paul win via points.

— Jad El Reda, sports reporter, L.A. Times en Español

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Jake Paul is listed as a -200 betting favorite and Mike Tyson is listed as a +160 betting underdog, according to DraftKings. The over/under line on the number of rounds the fight is set to last is 6.5. A full breakdown of bets and methods of victory can be seen here, as offered by DraftKings.

Dan Canobbio, a betting analyst for DraftKings, shared his following commentary:

“Like it or not, Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is happening for the world to see. Not only will it be widely viewed but it’s expected to be the most wagered-on sporting event of the year — and the lines are interesting.

“Jake Paul, nearly 27 years younger than Tyson, who is 58, is the betting favorite. Iron Mike is a very tempting underdog. But before placing your bets, you must factor in Tyson’s age and the fact that he hasn’t been in a sanctioned fight since 2005 and hasn’t won a fight (in a ring) since 2003.

“But nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and I can’t lie, some of these Tyson training clips have me thinking he can turn back the hands of time. If you want to wager on Tyson, the best bet is for him to stop Paul in Rounds One or Two. That is a fun bet.

“The longer this fight goes on, the more Paul is at an advantage. Tyson will tire out. Paul might be inexperienced, but he’s strong and trains hard. The odds for Paul by stoppage might be too good to pass up. Sorry, Mike, you’re still a legend.”