The fight community had several questions following the announcement of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s fight on July 20, which will stream live on Netflix.
Fortunately, many of the questions that have been circulating, particularly those about the rule set, have now been answered. This provides a sense of clarity and reassurance to the fight community.
Per Andreas Hale of ESPN, the Paul-Tyson bout will be a fully sanctioned heavyweight boxing match. Paul seconded the report from his X account.
“Mike Tyson and Jake Paul signed on to fight each other with the desire to do so in a sanctioned professional fight that would have a definitive outcome,” Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) co-founder Nakisa Bidarian noted in a statement provided to Forbes. “Over the past six weeks MVP has worked with its partners to satisfy the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) to sanction Paul Vs Tyson. We are grateful that we have gotten to this point.”
What does that mean for the rules set? Here is a breakdown of the rules for the bout.
While the fight is not an exhibition and will count on their professional records, you’ll notice two distinct differences in the rules compared to other heavyweight fights.
- There will be eight 2-minute rounds
- Tyson and Paul will wear 14-ounce gloves instead of the traditional 12-ounce gloves
- The results will affect both men’s professional records
The shorter rounds and overall length of the fight are likely a nod to Paul’s inexperience in longer fights, his conditioning to be at his best over a 10-round, 3-minute-round bout, and obviously, Tyson’s advanced age.
Tyson will be 58 when the fight takes place, and while he appears to be in fantastic shape, stamina is a logical concern.
The heavier gloves could be a potential softener for both men. Power is the last thing to go for fighters. Tyson likely still packs a wallop, which would mean Paul is set to face not only the hardest puncher he’s ever faced but one who, at least decades ago, was among the biggest punchers of all time.
It’s a nice touch that the results will impact the fighters’ records. Boxing purists are already a bit down on the fight, and many were dismissing it as a meaningless exhibition or money grab.
Having it count on Paul and Tyson’s pro records legitimizes the contest a little more. However, the event’s appeal is still based on two of the most famous people in the world fighting on Netflix, who have the most significant age gap in pro boxing history.
The co-main event will feature Katie Taylor defending her undisputed super lightweight championships against Amanda Serrano in a rematch of one of the greatest female fights in boxing history.
The rest of the undercard is still unclear, though UFC great Jose Aldo has hinted he could also box on the show. He fights on Saturday at UFC 301 in his native Brazil in the final bout on his UFC contract.
Stay tuned for more details on the Paul-Tyson card as it becomes available.
