Featured Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Contributor / Shareif Ziyadat/Contributor / Getty Images
It could be the fight to end all fights, as Mike "Iron Mike" Tyson goes up against Jake "The Problem Child" Paul on November 15. The former undisputed heavyweight world champion hopes to prove that age is just a number, while the cocky YouTuber wants to show that Tyson's legacy doesn't mean what it used to now that we're in 2024.
Hoping to top Joe Frazier's 1971 bout against Muhammad Ali being called the 'Fight of the Century', Paul versus Tyson could be the 21st Century's answer to it. Although the boxing match was due to take place in July 2024, it was delayed due an ulcer flare-up from Tyson.
With a few extra months to practise, the pair have being using social media to try and show they're the best, simultaneously laying down smack talk.
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While Paul has spent most of it in a fat suit trying to trick people, there are worries that he's not taking things seriously. This is in contrast to Tyson, who looks to be laser-focused on showing he's still got what it takes.
Ahead of the fight's big night on Netflix, fans are furious at an apparently 'huge' rule change that some are already branding a 'fix’.
Taking place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the fight's controversial rules have the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation laying down three major conditions. In order for Paul vs Tyson to go ahead, the pair will be wearing 14-ounce gloves instead of the standard 10-ounce gloves worn in a heavyweight fight. It's said that the heavier the glove is, the more padding and shock absorption they have.
There are also eight rounds instead of the usual 12, and they've also been reduced to just two minutes over the typical three-minute rounds you'd expect in a professional fight. There will be three judges standing ringside and scoring in case there isn't a knockout, while headguards are also banned.
As well as complaints that the no headguard rule is unfair due to Tyson being 60 and likely being unable to take a blow to the head, others say the glove weight is aimed at 'amateurs.'
For many, it's the two-minute rounds that are being branded as the biggest change, with one simply writing: "The two minute rule is HUGE. At Tyson's age, a two minute sprint, one minute recovery is much easier than three on, one off."
Others think it’s skewed for Paul, and when someone asked if they think the fight is legit, another added: "Nope. Two minute rounds . Heavier more padded gloves! This is strictly built for entertaining Jake’s fans. That being said, Tyson in 2."
Whether Paul vs Tyson is built purely for entertainment or not, we'll all be tuning in to see whether Iron Mike still has it in him. After all, it’s only been a mere 19 years since he 'retired' in 2005.
