Mike Tyson and Jake Paul have excited a new generation of boxing fans with their Netflix special, but one man is already winning. Picture; Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Netflix.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set to fight tonight at the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium in front of an expected 100,000 attendees (Netflix, 8 pm ET). The match has generated attention for pitting one of the sport’s legends against an upstart YouTuber-turned-boxer roughly half his age (see breakdown).
Tyson, 58, holds the record for youngest heavyweight boxing champion, a feat he achieved at age 20. Tyson served three years in prison for rape in the early 1990s. In 1997, he famously bit the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield twice midmatch. He has not fought professionally since a loss in 2005 (see timeline). Paul, 27, has converted a successful influencer stint into a boxing career; he is the younger brother of fellow social media influencer—and wrestler—Logan Paul.
The officially sanctioned fight will feature tweaks to the rules, with bigger gloves used and fewer, shorter rounds. It will be one of seven contests streaming live on Netflix tonight as the company debuts live boxing, part of a broader effort to expand live programming.
