Tyson returns to professional boxing after almost 20 years. GETTY IMAGES

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson's fight against 'youtuber' Jake Paul on 20 July will be a professional bout and will count towards their official records, the boxers and promoters have announced.


Mike Tyson will return to professional boxing after almost 20 years and at the age of 58 (he turns 58 in June, a month before the fight) in a fight scheduled for 8 rounds of two minutes each, with gloves more padded than usual (14 ounces instead of 10).

The twentieth of July will go down in history as Mike Tyson's return to the ring as a professional boxer, confirmed by the Texas Boxing Commission, which approved the fight against Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

It will be the American's return to action since his retirement in 2005 following a loss to Kevin McBride. The Fort Greene, New York native retired with a record of 50 wins (44 KOs) and 6 losses, which will be changed in July.

The fight, which will be broadcast live on Netflix, was expected to be an exhibition due to the age difference between Paul, 27, and Tyson, who turns 58 on June 30.

"Mike Tyson wanted it to be a professional fight. Netflix wanted it to be a professional fight. So I agreed it would be a professional fight. Winner takes all," Paul said on his X account.

"For the past six weeks, we've been working with our partners to meet the requirements of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) to sanction (the Paul vs. Tyson fight)," confirmed Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.

Mike Tyson throws a punch in the third round against Roy Jones Jr. on 28 November 2020 in Los Angeles, California. GETTY IMAGES
Mike Tyson throws a punch in the third round against Roy Jones Jr. on 28 November 2020 in Los Angeles, California. GETTY IMAGES


Tyson won his first world heavyweight title in 1986 and became undisputed a year later, almost a decade before Paul was born. He was the undisputed heavyweight ruler until 1990, although his successful career continued into the 90s.

Iron Mike's career began to falter in the early 1990s after a stunning defeat to Buster Douglas, a rape conviction and two losses to Evander Holyfield, including his controversial ear-biting of his opponent on 28 June 1997 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

After 15 years away from the rings, Tyson fought an exhibition bout against fellow veteran Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, which ended in a draw, although the bout was not considered professional, unlike the July 20 fight that will change records.

Tyson's opponent will be Paul, a popular 'youtuber' with over 26 million followers on Instagram, who began a boxing career in 2020 and has amassed nine wins in ten fights.

The showdown will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys American football team in the state of Texas, United States.