Mike Tyson, also known as Iron Mike and The Baddest Man on the Planet, is arguably the greatest and most feared knockout artist in boxing history.
Forty-four of his 50 professional wins came via the KO, but he’s 58 years old, and no one that old is the same as he was in his 20s and 30s. Even with that, and with Tyson facing someone 31 years younger in Jake Paul, 27, next month, Tyson is expecting the bout to end the way so many of his fights ended, and that’s with an early knockout.
At an Oct. 10 press conference, Tyson was asked what boxing fans can expect when he steps into the ring Nov. 15.
Just over half—23 of 44—of Tyson’s pro victories ended just as he predicted will happen versus Paul, with a first-round knockout. It is certainly in Paul’s best interest to avoid Tyson early and play the long game, as that’s what any fighter that much younger and that much more inexperienced than his opponent would do.
Tyson has 58 professional fights under his belt, while the YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, who made his pro debut in 2020, has fought only 11 times. To Paul’s credit, he’s never been knocked out in his career and has actually delivered a KO in seven of his 10 victories.
“Mikey, Mikey,” started Paul. “If you can last more than four rounds with me, I’ll give you an extra $5 million. But, if you don’t, then you have to get a tattoo that says, ‘I love Jake Paul.’ Deal or no deal?”
Given Tyson’s advanced age, and the fact that his only bout since 2006 was an exhibition versus Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, many boxing experts believe Tyson’s best chance of winning is going for an early knockout. He won’t win the endurance battle against Paul, which would come into effect after roughly four rounds. So Paul dangling this $5 million carrot in front of Tyson is a strategic move to get the former heavyweight champion to avoid showing off his legendary punching power early in the fight.
Tyson vs. Paul will be a sanctioned, professional heavyweight fight, but with rule modifications. The fight will be eight two-minute rounds, instead of the standard 12 three-minute rounds. The fighters will also use 14-ounce gloves, a notable change.
Most heavyweight fighters use 10-ounce gloves, which allow for quicker, more powerful punches. The bigger, more padded gloves will diminish each fighter’s punching power, lowering the chance of a knockout or any major damage. That would seemingly play into Paul’s favor, as landing one big blow may be Tyson’s best chance of a victory.
It will have been over 21 years since Tyson’s last pro victory when he steps into the ring at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, next month. The two-time heavyweight champion last held that title in November 1996, which is two months before Paul was even born. In the decades since then, Tyson has undergone multiple personal issues including the death of his daughter, a drug conviction, and most recently, in May 2024, an ulcer flare-up aboard a plane that led to this fight versus Paul being postponed from July to November.
However, he states that he’s in as good a place mentally as he’s ever been, especially more so than when he reigned over the boxing world. That proper mindset is what has him willing to step into the ring again in a sporting event that’s becoming one of the most anticipated of the year.
“When I was fighting professionally, I was too stressed out,” Tyson said. “I never had a chance to relax or enjoy my championships because everything was coming at me. There were lawsuits and divorces. I never enjoyed myself as a human being. This is a moment in time when I can enjoy myself as a human being. I have better life skills now than I did while fighting.”
