The fight between YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will now take place on 15 November in Texas after the original date had to be postponed.
Ireland’s Katie Taylor, the undisputed women’s light-welterweight world champion, will fight in the co-main event with a rematch against Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano at NFL side Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The two bouts had been scheduled to take place on 20 July but Tyson, who will be 58 later this month, had to pull out because of medical advice after a recent ulcer flare up.
“Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me,” said Tyson. “While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out.”
In a post on social media, Paul wrote: “New date, same place, same fate.”
The Tyson-Paul contest, which will be broadcast on Netflix, has been officially sanctioned as a professional fight and will take place over 10 two-minute rounds.
Tyson has not fought professionally since 2005, but did compete in an exhibition bout in 2020.
In 1987 he became the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles but his reign as unified champion came to a shock end in 1990 as he was beaten by Buster Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Paul, 27, has won nine of his 10 fights, mostly against former UFC fighters, with his solitary defeat coming against British boxer Tommy Fury in February 2023.
‘The rematch the world has wanted to see’
Taylor defeated Serrano via split decision in an all-time lightweight classic in April 2022 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Two judges gave Taylor the victory, by 96-93 and 97-93 margins, while a third judge said Serrano had won 96-94.
The loss was only Serrano’s second professional defeat and she has since won all four of her world featherweight title contests, but will step up in weight to face Taylor.
Speaking when the fight was originally announced, Taylor said: “This is the rematch the world has wanted to see.
“The first fight in New York was obviously an epic occasion and it more than lived up to the billing, and I’m sure the rematch will be no different.”
Since beating Serrano, Taylor defeated Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal but then suffered the first and only loss of her professional career when England’s Chantelle Cameron gained a majority points decision win in Dublin in May 2023.
The pair met in a rematch, again in Dublin, in November with Taylor this time winning via majority points decision.
