A 'verbal deal' has been agreed for Mike Tyson to fight Jake Paul next
- Joe Hewlett
- 18 January 2022
Mike Tyson last fought in a 2020 exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. but it looks like Jake Paul could be his next opponent at the age of 55, according to The Sun.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are on the verge of fighting each other in an exhibition that could generate nearly $50million.
According to The Sun, the pay-per-view bout would take place in 2022 and Las Vegas is the destination.
"A verbal deal has been struck to get it on, but like all forms of sports business, now it's all about the contracts and money split," a business associate of Tyson's said.
"Mike is looking for a certain figure to get into the ring with a profit share guarantee.
"Jake obviously has that on his mind but is keen to show the world that stepping into the ring with a man once called, 'the Baddest Man on the Planet,' takes his boxing career to the next level."
Tyson holds all the cards
Jake Paul just turned 25 meaning there is a 30-year gap difference in age but aside from that, Mike Tyson has all of the advantages.
Tyson returned to the ring in 2020 in another exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. While the bout ended in a draw, many felt Tyson dominated throughout the eight rounds.
The heavyweight legend retired with a record of 50-6 and remains the youngest champion of his division at the age of 20.
He is cited as the fighter who made the heavyweight division exciting again, and under Cus D'Amato, he knocked out the likes of Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick - two fighters who beat Muhammad Ali in his final two contests.
Paul meanwhile has fought five times as a professional but is often ridiculed for claiming his status as a boxer.
He has five wins, including knockouts against Nate Robinson, Ben Askren and more recently, Tyron Woodley. He is yet to face a legitimate boxer.
"This fight bridges the gap between old school boxing fans and the new generation of followers," the source told the Sun.
Money talks
The showdown could generate as much as $49million from TV revenue and tickets sold on the gate.
"Iron Mike" admitted it would be hard to turn down the amount of money on offer if the possibility came to fight one of the Paul brothers.
"I am going to have a return fight in February and we are pretty sceptical about the opponent but it will be a really stimulating opponent," Tyson told the Sun.
"That is the fight for the money,' Tyson said in 2021. 'Those are the money-making fights, those guys got 35 million people to watch.
'"ell, I would fight them," he continued. "They would fight me. That would make a lot of money.
"Hundred million dollars, they do anything, they don't mind getting beat up for a hundred million dollars."
Fall from grace
Tyson is ranked as one of the biggest punchers in boxing history and it was proved during the 1980s.
However, in 1990, Tyson suffered one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history to Buster Douglas.
In what was expected to be a warm-up to fight Evander Holyfield after, Tyson got stopped in round 10 of their Japan battle.
Tyson would return with three wins before a jail sentence after being found guilty of an 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant in an Indianapolis hotel room in 1992.
In 1995, Tyson returned to the ring but was never quite the same. He would eventually face Holyfield but lose to him twice, including disqualification for biting his ear.
He also lost to Lennox Lewis inside the distance and got stopped in his final two fights in 2004 and 2005.
Since retirement, Tyson has become a personality, most notably starring in the comedy franchise The Hangover.
He has also been involved in various charity projects, launched his own one-man show in 2013 and a podcast called Hotboxin'.
Tyson is now hoping to continue fighting in exhibitions, something which will resume in 2022.
