Well, here we are, folks—Mike Tyson, at the ripe age of 58, stepping back into the ring to fight none other than YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Yes, you read that right. Tyson, a man who terrorized the heavyweight division back in the 1980s, is now scheduled to go eight rounds against a 27-year-old internet personality. And, for a hefty $20 million paycheck, he’s lacing up the gloves to go head-to-head with a guy best known for pranks and internet feuds. This fight isn’t on Pay-Per-View; it’s on Netflix, where everything from rom-coms to reality TV already finds an audience.
Let’s talk about Tyson’s condition leading up to this “bout.” Just a few months back, Tyson was reportedly vomiting blood mid-flight due to a bleeding ulcer, which many thought would be reason enough to reconsider. But no, here we are, defying all medical logic and common sense to witness this spectacle. Critics have not held back.
Promoters like Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren are baffled, with Hearn calling the whole thing “ridiculous” and “macabre.” It’s almost as if Tyson’s late-career years, like biting off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in ’97, were a foreshadowing of the bizarre stunts to come. Hearn and Warren are blunt—if you want to see Tyson fight at this age, you’re either heartless or just plain clueless.
But Tyson, ever the showman, is brushing off the doubters, saying his critics are just jealous. “I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” Tyson quipped, clearly undeterred by his age or the risks. He’s convinced his brutal training camp has somehow made him “tougher” than he realized. One has to wonder if he remembers that the real work was done in his prime, not three decades later. It’s hard not to hear the echo of boxers past, who thought they could defy age and physics, only to realize, painfully, that time is undefeated.
Are you watching the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight on the 15th?
My money is on the Champ,
Iron Mike Tyson!!! 🥊 pic.twitter.com/0Z1Zsyf5fi— James Pleickhardt (@JamesPleickhar2) November 12, 2024
Meanwhile, Jake Paul, who’s half Tyson’s age and hamming it up in a rooster costume, is practically salivating at the chance to make his mark on a former heavyweight champion. He’s already chalked up a 10-1 record against a mix of YouTubers, ex-NBA players, and the odd MMA fighter. Now, he’s eyeing Tyson like a hunter with fresh prey, even predicting a “short night for Mike.” While any fan of the sport knows that a young Tyson would’ve put an end to Paul in under a minute, today’s Tyson is a very different story. Boxing legend Bob Arum, 92 years young and as seasoned as they come, isn’t giving Tyson “a chance in hell,” adding that at this age, the speed, power, and reflexes simply aren’t there.
WHO YOU GOT? Jake Paul and Mike Tyson stare down at the #PaulTyson press conference.
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LIVE ON NETFLIX
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
8 PM ET | 5 PM PT pic.twitter.com/iPKIoKuNnC— Netflix (@netflix) November 14, 2024
As absurd as this fight sounds, Netflix and the AT&T Stadium crowd of tens of thousands will likely eat it up, tuning in to watch Tyson, a 58-year-old former champ, try to relive his glory days against a guy who wasn’t even born when Tyson was taking bites out of opponents. Tyson insists he’s “just ready to fight,” but it’s safe to say everyone else—critics, fans, and old-school boxing purists—is ready for the retirement party he should have thrown for himself 19 years ago.
Mike Tyson’s reason for fighting Jake Paul left me speechless.. pic.twitter.com/SBO4kcrtaq
— Wade Plemons (@WadePlem) November 13, 2024
So, as the gloves go on and the lights go up, let’s all hope that Mike Tyson doesn’t end up regretting this one last act. Because while the payday might be sweet, the consequences might be anything but.
