Jake Paul accepts 'biggest' Mike Tyson fact ahead of fight with heavyweight legend
Jake Paul will take on Mike Tyson in a professional fight on July 20 and the YouTuber-turned-boxer has admitted the bout will be the biggest moment of his life
Jake Paul has confessed that his upcoming bout with Mike Tyson will be the 'biggest moment of his life'. The YouTuber-turned-boxer and heavyweight legend Tyson are set to clash in a professional fight on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The event could see up to 80,000 spectators and will be broadcast live and free on Netflix, marking the streaming service's first foray into combat sports. Paul came face-to-face with Tyson twice last week during press conferences in New York and Texas to hype their match. Reflecting on the significance of the fight in a video shot outside the same stadium where he'll confront Tyson this summer.
He said: "Well, here we are. Biggest moment of my life, biggest stage. From Vine, to a stadium. 80,000 people, breaking records. The highest gate ever, this is a testament to hard work. Dedication, manifestation, believing in yourself. Just a surreal full-circle moment for me, Dallas was the first place I went to for a fan meet up when I was 17-years-old off of vine.
"Now I'm back here, the biggest stadium possible and I mean what the f***."
Ahead of the fight, Paul has bulked up to a hefty 230lb to try and match 'Iron Mike's' weight, who tipped the scales at 220lb in his prime. However, Tyson was unimpressed with Paul's new physique and ridiculed his opponent's beefed-up body.
"I don't know if he's in his prime," Tyson remarked. "He's fat. He should be lean and mean and he's fat and funky. I saw him with his shirt off though and he's fat."
In a sharp retort to Tyson's dig, Paul stated: "Hey, Buster Douglas was fat. Am I right? I know, but you know Buster Douglas, I'm better. I'm going to end you quicker than he did and you'll remember that forever".
"You started me off. I appreciate that. Mike, I love you. I love you like a father loves his son, but I must discipline you. You're going down, man."
It has been nearly two decades since Tyson last stepped into the ring for a professional bout, retiring mid-fight against the unheralded Kevin McBride, while Paul improved his record to 9-1 after knocking out the relatively unknown Ryan Bourland in March.