The announcement of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s boxing match set for July 20 rocked the social media world on Thursday.
Shortly after the news dropped, TMZ Sports reminded boxing fans that just four years ago, the YouTuber-turned-boxer sounded like he would never face some of the legends of the sport. But it seems he changed his mind over the course of his young career.
“Look, I’m confident, but I’m not stupid,” Paul told TMZ back in 2020. “I would not go into the ring with them. Nah, no chance.”
At the time, Paul had only competed in two matches, so many fans didn’t take him seriously as a boxer yet. Now, Paul holds a 9–1 record and has knocked out some of the biggest names in the sport.
Tyson, on the other hand, hasn’t competed since Nov. 2020 when Paul coincidentally fought in the undercard of the event. The 57-year-old’s match against Roy Jones Jr. resulted in a draw. Paul knocked out Nate Robinson that day.
The “heavyweight boxing mega event” will take place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The event will be streamed on Netflix.
