Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson set to be watched by millions, shatter records and attract crowd not even Floyd Mayweather had

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will do battle in an event that has rarely been matched in boxing.

Tyson, a former undisputed heavyweight champion, had an astonishing career where he fought some of the sport’s biggest ever names, including Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, while making light work of Michael Spinks and obliterating Trevor Berbick to make history.

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He headlined some seismic events and the emergence of his ferocious punching style and brash-talking style saw him become an icon in the squared circle world.

Tyson carried an 88 per cent KO ratio in the pro ranks, and despite controversies outside of the ring, developed a reputation as the most feared yet popular fighters of all-time.

He has fought in sell out arenas around the world, but now, at 58 years old, he will appear in his most watched event yet as he faces an influencer in Paul, in a barely believable return this weekend.

Fans have struggled to come to full terms with the fight, as the boxing hero is far from his physical prime, and 19 years on from the conclusion of his professional career in 2005.

Tyson is no stranger to being on his own with a pair of gloves under the brightest of lights, but the glare could be bigger than ever this time.

The fully sanctioned professional bout will see him throw down with YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, who has become one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in the sport.

Paul has managed to convert his millions of viewers from his subscriber base of over 30 million people on social media to tune in for his fighting spectacles.

And it is expected that millions will tune in to watch the pair do battle, with the event being screened on streaming service Netflix.

It will be the platform’s first foray into boxing, with the event to be broadcast into 282.7 million homes globally, a first for the sport.

The spectacle will come at no extra cost to subscribers, a chance for the sport to return to the mainstream, a feat that only the likes of Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather have been able to reach.

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Fans are set to flock in their numbers particularly to watch Tyson, with many new generations being given a unique chance to the formidable American operator in action.

The fact a pay-per-view paywall will not be on the event, could see record numbers attracted for the current century.

The most watched event since 2000 came on pay-per-view between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, selling 4.6 million units for their earth-shattering 2015 showdown.

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Many fights of old attracted frightening viewing figures on TV, with the famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman believed to be watched by up to one billion people worldwide.

It is unlikely to reach anywhere near that figure, but could certainly have more tune in than Mayweather’s famous night against ‘Pac Man’ nine years ago.

As a spectacle on fight night around the ring, things are set to be equally as ground-breaking and tumultuous.

The contrasting gladiators will walk out in front of a planned 80,000 capacity crowd at the At&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas with tickets still on sale.

Tyson has headlined a handful of huge stadium fights including his famous upset defeat to Buster Douglas in front of 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome in Japan in 1990.

But his surprise comeback against Paul could be his highest-attended event if it sells out, a clear sign that the interest remains in seeing ‘Iron Mike’ step beyond the top rope.

But his surprise comeback against Paul could be his highest-attended event if it sells out, a clear sign that the interest remains in seeing ‘Iron Mike’ step beyond the top rope.

The $1 billion stadium, which previously played host to Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders broke the record for the highest attendance for an indoor boxing event held in the United States with 73,126 fans in attendance.

And if the Paul vs Tyson event reaches the new high capacity, it could shatter the record and see the pair making boxing history.

Boxing pundit Adam Smith has seen Tyson in the biggest of fights in his career, but admits the contentious event could be the most grand of the veteran’s stint in the sport.

He told talkSPORT: “It is an interesting one, it’s entertainment and a lot of people will be watching it.

“The magnetism of Iron Mike – I remember where I was when I watched Buster Douglas knock him out in the biggest upset in modern boxing history.

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“And now he finds himself in the ring in front of millions on Netflix against Jake Paul, a YouTuber has done very well.

“If you take Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul for what it is, a fight to get a different audience in, it can be put slightly to one side.

“It is certainly going to be a watched fight, Jake Paul is making a huge amount of noise.

“And it is set to bring younger and new eyes to the sport, which I suppose can only be a big thing.”

A big spectacle it will certainly be, with of course the interest in the bout set to be converted into a sizeable revenue.

Paul and Tyson are reportedly both set to pocket an estimated purse of $20 million each, which could increase depending on the audience that does tune in.

The event promises to be the biggest of the year, and despite widespread criticism, potentially upstage the traditional classics including Tyson Fury‘s meeting with Oleksandr Usyk in May.

As for how things are expected to unfold in the ring, Tyson is likely to be the underdog, a statement which none would believe if they didn’t know the legend’s age or physical condition.

The former undisputed heavyweight world champion is now 58-years-old and far from his prime days, which we saw in his return against Roy Jones Jr in a 2020 exhibition fight.

But his aggression and determination would not let him be denied, with Paul of course to welcome this opportunity given the opportunity to earn well and expand his boxing profile.

It promises to be a fight of true unknowns, with Tyson’s power not to be denied, although it is unclear if he has enough left in the tank to fully unleash it.

Paul will be the favourite at the age of 27, despite only having had 11 professional fights and having a lack of experience in comparison to his foe.

But one thing is for sure, and that fans are likely to be transcended by the unique and highly-criticised bout, with eyes promising to be glued to the screen irrespective of the bizarre outcome.

Keep right across Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul on talkSPORT.com and the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube channel

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