58-year-old Mike Tyson will return to the ring on Friday in a Netflix-sponsored contest, nearly 40 years after his professional debut and 19 years after retiring.
Tyson, who dominated the heavyweight division in the late 1980s, will square off against YouTuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The match, intended for eight two-minute rounds, was originally scheduled for July but was postponed in May when Tyson needed medical attention after vomiting blood on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles due to a bleeding ulcer.
The incident has attracted criticism of Friday’s match, with many calling it a macabre display that puts Tyson at risk. Tyson last appeared in a professional ring in 2005, losing a technical knockout after quitting on his stool to Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
“Mike Tyson retired from boxing 20 years ago and was already worn out,” British promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.
“If anyone thinks Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no concern for him or you’re being reckless. This shouldn’t be happening.”
Hearn’s fellow promoter Frank Warren echoed the sentiment.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age, and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Warren, who likened the fight to a roadside accident, added, “You’re on the motorway, and everyone’s slowing down just to look at a crash—that’s what this is.”
The former heavyweight champion, who will reportedly earn around $20 million for the bout, has dismissed concerns for his wellbeing, claiming critics are motivated by jealousy.
“I’m beautiful; that’s all I can say,” he responded earlier this year. “Those who criticise wish they were in my place. No one else can do this.”
Speaking at an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson declared that his intense training camp had convinced him he was tougher than he’d realised.
“When I agreed to this fight, I thought, ‘What was I thinking?’ But I completed the process. The fight is the celebration. All the hard work is done.”
Paul, who was born six months before Tyson famously bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their 1997 rematch, rose to prominence on YouTube before transitioning to boxing.
Since his debut battle against a fellow YouTuber in 2018, Paul has faced a variety of opponents, including a basketball player, MMA fighters, and other professional boxers.
In 11 matches, he has won 10 (seven via knockout) and lost one.
“I feel really good, sharp, powerful, and explosive. It’s going to be a short night for Mike,” Paul said at Tuesday’s open workout, where he sported a rooster-shaped headdress.
