You can’t call yourself a boxing fan and not feel some kind of way about the upcoming fight between influencer turned professional boxer Jake Paul, and professional boxer turned media icon Mike Tyson.
This improbable pair of opponents will meet in the ring for a sanctioned fight on Friday, November 15, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It’s likely more than 80,000 people will be on hand for what is sure to be a spectacle, however it plays out.
In the week leading up to the fight, multiple media events are open to the public. All Paul vs. Tyson fight week events will be free and open to the public.
Paul vs Tyson Fight Week Schedule
Mike Tyson arrived in Dallas earlier this week in preparation for his bout with Jake Paul. Photo: Most Valuable Promotions
If you’re in the Dallas area and want to check them out, the schedule looks like this.
All fight week events will take place at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, starting on Tuesday. The doors open at 5 p.m. CT each day to the media and fans.
If you can’t make it in person, you can watch the live streaming of these events daily. Most Valuable Promotions YouTube channel is your one stop viewing resource. Bookmark all events to keep up to date.
Note that live-streaming of events by anyone is strictly prohibited, and recorded clips from the press conference may not exceed five minutes in length.
The fight card itself will air on Netflix. It is the streaming service’s first boxing event. There is no additional fee for current subscribers. For those who want to see the fight card, a single month’s subscription starts at $6.99.
Our advice: Don’t wait until Friday to try and sign up. The rush to sign up before a big event can crash the system and frustrate fans. Do it this week. Don’t tell me there isn’t ANYTHING you want to watch on Netflix this week.
Paul vs Tyson: Will It Happen?
Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) and Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) were scheduled to fight on July 20, but the fight was postponed when the 58-year-old Tyson suffered a health scare during a flight. The episode was blamed on an ulcer acting up.
In recent days, Tyson alluded to passing out at home, coughing up blood after training. It is also tied to the apparent ulcer.
Will the Paul vs Tyson fight actually get to the ring on Friday night? The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation will get the final say. Photo: Netflix
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the sanctioning body permitting the fight and setting the rules, will perform an EEG to examine brain function and an EKG for heart function prior to the fight, which was agreed on before Tyson’s health issues flared up.
TDLR issued a statement after being questioned about the situation by World Boxing News. This week. “TDLR-appointed physicians will conduct comprehensive pre-fight physicals, reviewing Mr. Tyson’s medical history to determine his fitness to compete,” said TDLR Communications Manager Tela Goodwin Mange.
The fight is sanctioned as a professional bout for eight two-minute rounds. The fighters will wear larger gloves than standard, 14 ounces instead of 10 ounces. These are the gloves typically worn in sparring in the higher weight divisions. Bigger gloves blunt punching power.
Knockouts are permitted, unlike Tyson’s exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. two years ago.
Taylor Serrano 2 Rematch Headlines Undercard
The hotly anticipated rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano gives legitimacy to this card for serious fans. Photo: Most Valuable Promotions
In addition to the main event, there are several significant fights of interest to genuine boxing fans.
Super Lightweight unified world champion Katie Taylor of Ireland (23-1, 6 KOs) and six-division world champion Amanda Serrano (47-2-1, 21 KOs) of Puerto Rico meet in a long-anticipated and much-delayed rematch of their history-making fight at Madison Square Garden in April 2022.
Taylor’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO women’s super-lightweight titles are at stake.
Taylor won a narrow decision over Serrano for her unified lightweight titles in a thrilling battle named Event of the Year 2022 by Ring Magazine, and witnessed by a sold-out crowd. The outcome was disputed by many observers.
Since then, Taylor moved up to super lightweight to challenge Chantelle Cameron, losing the first fight and then winning the rematch. At age 38, with a long, impressive list of accomplishments, Taylor says she still has a passion for boxing. But Father Time may be stalking her.
Serrano returned to featherweight, successfully defending her unified titles four times. She recently took a tune-up fight at 135 pounds, scoring a second-round knockdown. Momentum is on Serrano’s side.
There are two additional championship fights on the card.
Mario Barrios Defends WBC Title
Mario Barrios controlled the action despite an eye injury, getting the decision over Fabian Maidana. Photo: Esther Lin, Premier Boxing Champions
WBC World Welterweight champion Mario Barrios of San Antonio (29-2, 18 KOs) faces challenger Abel Ramos of Casa Grande, Arizona (28-6-2, 22 KOs) for Barrios’ belt. Barrios is the sole Texan on the card fighting for the home fans.
Barrios won the interim 147-pound title in September 2023 in a decision against Yordenis Ugas. He defended the title in May against Fabian Maidana. Barrios was elevated to full champion by the WBC when it declared undisputed champion Terence Crawford its “champion in recess” by the WBC. Barrios’ only losses were to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.
Ramos won a fifth-round stoppage of Juan Ramon Guzman in April after losing to both Cody Crowley and Luke Santamaria. Ramos is a serviceable, experienced opponent but should not present a serious danger to Barrios.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Barrios. “The fight on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card is huge, with millions watching live on Netflix. Abel Ramos is a tough Mexican fighter, just like me, so I know it’ll be a hell of a fight in front of my Texas people at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium.”
Green vs Watpool for WBO Belt
Promoter Jake Paul with Shadasia Green (left) and Amanda Serrano. Photo: MVP Promotions
Super middleweights Shadasia Green of New Jersey (14-1, 11 KOs) and Melinda Watpool of Toronto (7-0, 2 KOs) fight for the vacant women’s WBO super middleweight title. Former champion Green lost her WBC World Super Middleweight title to Franchon Crew-Dezurn. Assuming Green bounces back, it tees up a rematch and unification fight.
Also on the card, exciting featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington of Brooklyn, New York (13-0, 8 KOs) fights Dana Coolwell of Queensland, Australia (13-2, 8 KOs) in what’s set up as a showcase for Mike Tyson’s fellow Brownsville native.
Goyat vs Nunes: Only A Jake Paul Fight
Super Middleweight Neeray Goyat of India is the first foreign born fighter signed by MVP – and a Bollywood star in India. Photo: MVP
Super Middleweight Neeray Goyatof India (18-4-2, 8 KOs) fights for the first time as a Jake Paul promoted MVP fighter against Whindersson Nunes of Brazil, making his professional debut.
Only on a Jake Paul card would this fight be happening. Goyat, age 32, is a legitimate former WBC Asia welterweight champion and the first Indian fighter to make the WBC’s rankings. Call him the Asian Ryan Garcia. He has one million Instagram followers, and he has appeared in Bollywood movies and Indian television shows.
Goyat pestered Jake Paul via a viral social media campaign to sign him, and it worked. He is the first international fighter added to the MVP roster.
“His viral callouts of Jake Paul certainly got our attention, and we’re honored to welcome Neeraj into our family of exceptional athletes,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a statement.
Whindersson Nunes of Brazil is a social media star and comedian making his pro debut Friday. Photo: MVP
Nunes is a 29-year-old Brazilian comedian who has participated in several celebrity exhibition fights. He has 60 million Instagram followers.
“By featuring two more international stars in Neeraj Goyat and Whindersson Nunes, alongside the rest of our historic card, we’re strategically supplementing Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 to drive patriotic engagement with the event from two of the biggest countries in the world,” said Bidarian via statement.
“Neeraj Goyat is arguably the greatest Indian boxer of all time and he will now have the opportunity to represent India as a part of one of the biggest boxing events of all time. Whindersson Nunes is returning to the ring against a much more experienced boxer and it shows what a Brazilian badass he is, ready to take on the challenge — you have to respect that.”
Badhi vs Casamonica
Lucas Bahdi drilled Ashton Sylve for an upset victory. Photo: Esther Lin, Most Valuable Promotions
Super Lightweight Lucas Bahdi of Niagara Falls, Ontario (17-0, 15 KOs) faces Armando Casamonica of Italy (14-0, 3 KOs). Bahdi scored a major upset in July with a knockout win over promising prospect Ashton Sylve. Casamonica will fight outside Italy for the first time and has faced limited opposition. He’s teed up for Bahdi to capitalize on his previous win.
NY Fights will be in Dallas for all the festivities and will file reports this week including coverage of Friday’s fight card – whether or not Paul vs Tyson is a go.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist and the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). She is West Coast Bureau Chief based in San Diego, California.