Featured Image Credit: Getty Images - Netflix
Topics: Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Boxing, Boxing News
Jack Kenmare
Topics: Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Boxing, Boxing News
A full list of rules for the upcoming bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul has been published ahead of fight night.
We are just hours away from one of the most highly-anticipated events in recent boxing history. Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, will take on former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The event will be broadcast live on Netflix, with subscribers being able to watch the fight at no extra cost.
Advert
So what can we expect from the match-up? Ahead of fight night, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) revealed three major conditions for the sanctioned bout to go ahead.
One of the first major rule changes approved was wearing 14oz gloves instead of the standard 10oz gloves worn in a heavyweight fight.
Tyson recently opened up wearing bigger gloves during an interview with Newsmax.
“Well, you know, most of the gloves that are ten ounces—they don’t fit my hand properly,” he said. “And the 14-ounce, they don’t fit that well either. But they’re comfortable enough.”
Advert
The bout will also see headguards being banned while three impartial judges will stand ringside and score in the eventuality that there is no knockout.
A 10-point must system will be in place, meaning each round will be scored 10-9 to one of the fighters or 10-8 in the case of a knockdown
Another major ruling is that instead of the traditional 12 three-minute rounds, the Tyson and Paul clash has been reduced to eight two-minute rounds.
Tyson has previously claimed it was his decision to shorten the rounds. “If we have shorter rounds, we’ll fight more," he said. "More action".
Advert
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, added: "It was [Tyson's] choice, not that Jake didn't want to do it [as a sanctioned fight]. We were bringing Mike Tyson back into the sport, and I believe that it was more meaningful as a pro fight.”
Understandably, some have expressed concerns over Tyson's health going into the rearranged fight; not to mention his age.
The 58-year-old, who last appeared in the ring during a November 2020 exhibition clash with Roy Jones Jr, will need to pass two health tests prior ahead of fight night, according to Boxing Kingdom.
Advert
It is claimed that Tyson agreed to do the tests several months ago as part of safety precautions.
He will therefore have to pass a brain test (EEG) and a heart test (EKG) before he is permitted to step inside the ring in Texas. The tests were reportedly mandated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Speaking to boxing reporter Manouk Akopyan ahead of the fight, Tyson said: "Time changes. I was a different person back then [in his last professional fight in 2005], and it's time for me to come back.
"I was a different person, I was using narcotics and alcohol back then, and I'm not that person anymore ... I see a better picture of myself, I see light, I see the world from a different perspective now."