Sarah Stier/Getty Images for NetflixA 27-year-old YouTuber is fighting in a sanctioned pro boxing match against a 58-year-old former heavyweight champion in the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys and streaming on Netflix.
Welcome to the bizarre age of boxing in the 21st century.
Jake Paul stepped into the ring in 2018 as something of a social media stunt. Since then, he has a 10-1 professional record facing mostly former MMA fighters and journeyman boxers. Audiences tuning in hoping to see Paul get obliterated in the circled square have so far been disappointed.
Mike Tyson was an explosive champion who in the 1980s and ’90s headlined some the biggest blockbuster bouts in history. His last win as a pro came in 2003, and he’s fought in several exhibition bouts since, including an eight-round draw vs. Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.
Paul vs. Tyson was originally scheduled for July and then postponed when Tyson suffered health problems that required rest. The fight now takes place live Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Netflix streams it at 8pm ET.
It’s more circus spectacle than sweet science, but the Netflix audience will be huge. The co-main event has a legitimate title fight with Amanda Serrano challenging undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor in a rematch.
Netflix also airs Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, a three-part docuseries premiering Nov. 7 that chronicles both camps’ preparations for the bout.
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