In this composite image a comparison between former boxer Mike Tyson (L) and Jake Paul (R). Tyson and Paul face an exhibition fight in July 2024.
François Nel | Christian Petersen | Getty Images
Mike Tyson's return to the boxing ring to fight Jake Paul this summer is already driving ticket prices up and strong interest from punters.
The July 20 fight, which will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will be streamed worldwide on Netflix, is expected to be the toughest boxing match bet of the year. Fans are already lining up for tickets to see former heavyweight champion Tyson, who will be 58, fight 27-year-old social media influencer turned boxer Paul.
The fight, which will be sanctioned as a professional fight, will last 8 rounds, each consisting of two minutes. Tyson last fought in an exhibition bout in 2020, but his last professional fight took place in 2005.
The event will also feature lightweight world champion Katie Taylor versus boxing pioneer and unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano. The two previously pulled off the first-ever sold-out women's headline boxing event at Madison Square Garden.
Most Valuable Promotions, the company co-owned by Paul that promotes the event, said more than 121,000 fans have signed up for pre-sale access to the fight. Tickets officially go on sale next Thursday.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that literally touches six generations,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP.
Bidarian said 35,000 people have indicated they want to sit on the floor of the venue and more than 10,000 people have said they want VIP seating.
Most Valuable Promotions also has a unique offer for the fight: a $2 million VIP package. The promotion said it would include two ringside seats, which it said have never been offered before in boxing.
The package also includes four front row seats for the event, four second row seats, a pre-fight locker room photo with both Paul and Tyson, gloves signed by both fighters and luxury penthouse accommodations for two nights at the hotel. where the fighters will stay.
“We're trying to bring back the awareness and prominence of boxing in a huge way. That hasn't been the case for many, many years,” Bidarian said.
For those who can't afford the $2 million, secondary market sites like Gametime have released ticket prices for the event. Currently, the cheapest tickets are available for $357 each, with ringside seats selling for $8,067 each.
Interest in combat gambling has also increased. BetMGM is already taking bets on the fight. The odds show that Jake Paul is the current favorite (-145), but 70% of the money is on Tyson.
“This is the kind of mega-fight that will attract multiple demographics: Tyson supporters, Jake Paul haters and casual sports fans,” said Alex Rella, senior trader at BetMGM. “I absolutely expect this to be the best boxing match of the year.”
The financial terms of the fight and what Netflix will receive from it have not been released. Netflix will make the fight available to all subscribers at no cost as the streaming giant continues its activities in the sport.
Tyson and Paul are expected to make eight figures, Bidarian said.
“We hope this will be the most watched streaming event in sports in the US,” he added.