CLASH OF TITANS: YOUTUBER VS. ICON AS JAKE PAUL FACES MIKE TYSON
A 27-year-old social media sensation and former Disney Channel star faces off against a man who, let’s be honest, became a legend as “the baddest man on the planet.”
No, you haven’t stumbled into a parallel universe. This fight is actually happening—this Friday night in Texas.
Headlining a card that includes the highly anticipated rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, the event promises electrifying matchups. Taylor, the undefeated Irish icon, will face Puerto Rican powerhouse Amanda Serrano, a seven-weight world champion with nine titles, as Taylor aims for her second win against Serrano.
The night kicks off with rising star Bruce Carrington taking on Australia’s Dana Coolwell. Carrington, 13-0, came away with a narrow majority decision in his last fight against the tough Sulaiman Segawa. Coolwell, who has strung together six consecutive wins, including three stoppages, is ready to test Carrington in his toughest bout yet. Expect a close, competitive fight with the possibility of an upset.
Shadasia Green will then face Canada’s Melinda Watpool for the WBO World Super-Middleweight Title, once held by Savannah Marshall. Green, who recently came up short in her WBC title challenge against Franchón Crews-Dezurn, rebounded with a unanimous decision over Natasha Spence. Watpool, on the other hand, beat Spence over ten rounds just eight weeks ago, riding momentum into this bout. This clash promises to be evenly matched and an exciting watch.
The world title action continues in the welterweight division as Mario Barrios makes the first defense of his WBC title against knockout artist Abel Ramos. After losses to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman, Barrios rebounded with three straight wins, including a victory over Yordenis Ugas for the WBC interim title. With Terence Crawford now campaigning at 154 lbs, Barrios has been promoted to full champion. Ramos, despite recent losses, boasts 22 stoppages from 28 wins, and his power makes him a formidable opponent for Barrios.
Next, in the co-main event, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano will finally face off in one of the most in-demand rematches in boxing. Taylor narrowly won their first fight in 2022 by split decision, although it could have gone either way. Since then, Taylor experienced the first loss of her career to Chantelle Cameron, only to avenge it six months later. Serrano, meanwhile, became the undisputed featherweight champion before moving up in weight and dominating Stevie Morgan in her last fight. With Taylor’s size advantage and both fighters nearing the end of their prime, this fight may come down to grit and willpower.
Then, there’s the main event: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, a matchup as unexpected as it is unconventional. The 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer, whose professional career began just in 2020, faces one of the sport’s all-time greats, 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
If these two were meeting in Tyson’s prime, Jake Paul likely wouldn’t last four seconds. But with each passing day, Tyson gets older, and Paul gets savvier.
Paul enters this fight with a 10-1 record and seven knockouts, holding wins over Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry. Tyson’s record, on the other hand, stands at 50-6 with 44 knockouts, featuring legendary names like Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno, and Trevor Berbick.
Tyson’s prime résumé is incomparable, but the reality today is different. Paul has fought eleven times professionally in the last five years, while Tyson’s last official fight was nearly two decades ago. Tyson’s last two professional bouts ended in stoppage losses to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride, leading many to question his fitness even back then.
Nevertheless, power is often the last thing to fade in a boxer, and if Tyson lands a solid right hand on Paul, it could be game over. However, Paul’s youthful stamina and steady improvement in boxing IQ give him an edge in a potentially drawn-out fight.
For Paul, the game plan is clear: avoid a brawl, box from a distance, make Tyson chase him, and look to tire him out over eight two-minute rounds. For Tyson, the task is also simple: land the biggest punch he can within the first few rounds and avoid gassing out.
Love it or hate it, this matchup captures the imagination with the question: what will really happen?