Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul held public workouts in Irving, Texas on Tuesday ahead of their highly anticipated Friday bout.
Now 58, Tyson will step into the ring at the 80 000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington against a man 31 years his younger but with only 10 professional fights to his name.
Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 while maintaining his innocence and was stripped of his boxing license in 1997 after infamously sinking his teeth into Evander Holyfield’s ear.
He has denied that money is the motivation behind his return to the ring, saying that he is doing it for himself.
‘Iron Mike’, who has a 50-6 record with 44 knockouts, was one of the most feared heavyweights in history but has not fought a professional fight since 2005.
Paul, meanwhile, has a 9-1 record having mostly fought ex-MMA fighters, with his lone defeat coming by way of split decision against Tyson Fury’s younger brother Tommy in February 2023.
The heavyweight bout at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, will be contested over eight two-minute rounds with each fighter using 14-ounce gloves, and the outcome will be included in both fighters’ professional boxing records.
