Former world champion Mike Tyson claims that his boxing match with YouTuber Jake Paul will just be an exhibition fight and not a formal competition. Tyson ended his professional career in 2005 and will turn 58 before facing Paul in Texas. Moreover, Paul had defeated Ryan Bourland in his 10th professional fight.
Tyson said: “This is called an exhibition, but if you look up ‘exhibition’ you will not see any of the rules will be fighting under. This is a fight.”
The competition won’t count toward their professional records if it is an exhibition, and it will stream live on Netflix. An estimated number of 80,000 may come to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, for this will be the venue for the event.
Mike Tyson in Exhibition Fight
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which authorizes boxing events in the state, stated that although the promoter had submitted a request to organize an event on that day, no fights or additional information had been provided. “Under TDLR rules, in an exhibition fight the combatants wear bigger gloves (16oz), have two-minute rounds and fight in fewer rounds than a sanctioned professional bout… In an exhibition, there is a referee but no judges and no winner is declared,” the TDLR stated.
In April 2020, Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. squared off in an exhibition match that resulted in a draw.
On the other hand, Paul defeated British boxer Tommy Fury in February 2023, but he has prevailed in nine of his ten boxing matches, most of which have been against former UFC competitors.
Cover Photo: IG
Read more about the exhibition match here.
Source: Yahoo Sports