Last month ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson has announced his retirement from the podcasting show, ‘HotBoxin’,’ which he co-hosted with Sebastian Joseph-Day, has concluded. This news coincides with the announcement of Tyson’s return to the ring for a highly anticipated clash with internet sensation Jake Paul, under the banner of Hunger Punch promotion.
Tyson, the former heavyweight champion and the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet,’ is stepping back into the ring to take on YouTuber Paul. While this match has been brewing for the past three years, it is only now, during a global pandemic, that the boxing ring will witness this epic matchup of the two men.
Contrary to the hesitations of how his personality will be viewed, Tyson has stated that “zero concerns” come to his mind about any sort of damage to his status. While despite securing the athletics deal, the fight has taken place he still aims towards victory, according to a confident friend of MirrorUS.
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‘Mike’s job is to sell the fight’, and he is not concerned about Netflix deal
The exclusive news source also revealed that many networks, including boxing, TV, and streaming services, had been approached before Netflix was named the pay-per-view network of choice. A transformation undoubtedly happened between Paul and Tyson that led to friendship instead of conflict.
They are expected to promote the event vigorously, with the Mirror source stating, “Mike’s job is to sell the fight…that is why you are seeing these boxing videos making him look very menacing and as powerful as before.”
The Vegas-based source further elaborated on Tyson’s motivations: “Let’s be honest here. Mike is doing this for the payday. It is a huge global event and gives him and his businesses huge exposure.”
Tyson himself perceives the fight as separate from his illustrious achievements in the 1980s, viewing it more as a ‘sparring’ experience rather than a continuation of his professional career.
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The insider quoted to the outlet, “Jake and he have been working on this for a while with the hope of doing it as a pay-per-view at one time. They and their teams had shopped it to many outlets working on getting a huge payday, but not everyone bought the concept or the appeal,” and added, “Netflix did and it’s a $40 million deal in total. It is another step into sport for them and a bit of a test too to see what numbers it draws.”
The showdown between Tyson and Paul is scheduled for July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.