Boxing has a way of stretching reality. And there is a saying that goes something along the lines of reality being stranger than fiction. So, just imagine the reaction when Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced on Thursday their first-ever partnership in what they are calling “a heavyweight boxing mega-event” headlined by “The Problem Child,” Jake “El Gallo” Paul (9-1, 6 knockouts) against the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). Paul-Tyson will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

“Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once in a lifetime dream matchup and I anticipate it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” said Nakisa Bidarian, founder of Most Valuable Promotions, said in a statement. “Partnering with Netflix for this deal presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to the world on an unprecedented scale and we look forward to delivering this incredible clash of two of sports biggest names. Six generations of boxing fans will have a stake in the outcome and will be able to watch an anti-hero, Jake Paul, put it all on the line against the baddest man on the planet, Mike Tyson. Thank you to Netflix for their vision and trust in MVP to put on this historic event.”

The problem they may face is this: Tyson will turn 58 by the scheduled time of the fight, and Paul will be 27. How will the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which regulates combat sports, define the fight? Will it be an exhibit, where Tyson and Paul tap dance around each other and try to sell it as entertainment or will the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation approve it as a real fight?

Tyson has not fought a real fight since 2005, when he lost by six-round TKO to club fighter Kevin McBride. That was the fight in which Tyson tried to break McBride’s left arm during a clinch. After the sixth round was over, Tyson refused to come out for the seventh, even though he was up on two of the three scorecards. It was the third time Tyson, an undoubted all-time great, lost in his last four fights.

Here is something else: At 58, Tyson can still seriously hurt normal human beings with a punch. He may be able fight for two or three competitive rounds. Jake Paul is closer to a normal human being than a world-title contending boxer. That, in a twisted way, makes this somewhat intriguing and gives this event a dash of crossover appeal.

In November 2020, Paul faced former NBA player Nate Robinson on the Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition, where the two danced around before running out of breath.

Paul has also shown some skills. He wants to be taken seriously. He has generated some interest in his quest to become a “world champion.”

“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons,” Paul said in a released statement. “Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the US, broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world – a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time.

“Whether you’re tuning in on Netflix or showing out in person, whether you’re team Paul or team Tyson, or whether you’re a lifelong boxing fan or watching your first fight, you’re not going to want to miss this event. I could not be more excited to make this amazing fight available to all Netflix subscribers alongside the hardest hitter of all time, Mike Tyson, on Saturday, July 20th. My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. This will be the fight of a lifetime.”

There may be enough curiosity out there to see a retired boxing legend and someone who has yet to do anything in boxing.

One thing is certain: Jake Paul knows how to sell. He also deserves credit for placing himself out there in a no-win situation: If he loses, which could happen and many would want to see it, Paul would have succumbed to the inevitable—a old-school warrior blasting out Paul with the last thing he has left, his powerful punch. If Paul wins, which he could possibly do by running around and exhausting the 58-year-old Tyson, Paul still loses by getting credit for doing nothing more than beating up an old man whose peak skills have long since vanished.

“Mike Tyson is one of the biggest icons in boxing history and Jake Paul is one of the biggest disruptors in boxing history,” Gabe Spitzer, Vice President, Nonfiction Sports, Netflix, said in a statement. “Saturday, July 20 will be pure drama in the ring in Texas. We are thrilled to partner with Most Valuable Promotions for this historic event and we can’t wait for these two to face off for fans all across the world on Netflix.”

Sadly, some younger people watching this spectacle will know their hero, Jake Paul, and have no idea who the gray-haired old man is in the ring with him.

Joseph Santoliquito is hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]

READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE RING FOR FREE VIA THE NEW APP NOW. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO ACCESS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF BACK ISSUES.