Why Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson won't have a true winner
YouTube influencer and former Disney Channel actor Jake Paul is continuing his foray into boxing on Friday as he challenges former heavyweight champion "Iron" Mike Tyson.
Paul is promoting the fight under his Most Valuable Promotions brand, sharing the card with undisputed women's super lightweight champion Katie Taylor as she gives WBO and WBA featherweight champion Amanda Serrano a rematch of their Madison Square Garden fight from 2022.
Boxing purists will argue that Taylor-Serrano is the true main event of the night as celebrity boxing continues its decline.
Tyson, who has already postponed the fight due to an ulcer issue, is 58 years old and hasn't fought professionally in 19 years. Paul, 27, is credited with a 10-1 record with wins against former UFC fighters and unknown boxers and a loss to Tommy Fury, the younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
If Tyson wins, it presents nostalgia to a generation that watched him knock fighters out left and right in the 1980s and '90s. It'll also knock a social media personality to 0-2 against boxers that are known to the general public. However, it won't spark some Tyson comeback or be taken seriously as a real win on his record.
On the other hand, there isn't much for Paul to gain from a win either. He's 31 years younger than Tyson, who clearly isn't in his best shape, and still won't have a win against a fighter the public cares about.
Paul, Tyson and Netflix will see a hefty payday from the fight as it will draw viewers, but the boxing world to continue to center its conversations around the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez and other established champions.
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