BetMGM Sportsbook has predicted that the upcoming match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will be the biggest boxing contest in 2024 from a betting standpoint.
Netflix will livestream Tyson and Paul’s showdown on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Regulators Sanction Fight To Count Against Fighters’ Pro Records
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has approved the fight as a professional boxing match. With the sanctioning, North Carolina online sportsbooks can offer intriguing action on this provocative matchup.
Alex Rolla, senior sports trader at BetMGM Sportsbook NC, sees the fight as a potential barn burner for sportsbooks due to the broad audience it will draw.
“This is the type of megafight that will draw in multiple demographics: Tyson supporters, Jake Paul haters, and casual sports fans. I fully expect this to be the most bet-on boxing match of the year. Tyson is receiving strong support from bettors, and the sportsbook will be rooting for Paul”
According to data from BetMGM, 70% of bettors on the platform have wagered on Mike Tyson to win, 25% have bet on Jake Paul, and the remaining 5% have chosen to bet on the fight ending in a tie. In terms of bet tickets, 80% are on Tyson, 11% on a tie, and 9% on Paul.
Tyson Returns To Pro Boxing After Almost 20 Years
Tyson (50-6) last fought in an approved match in June 2005, when he lost to Kevin McBride. He returned to the ring in November 2020 for an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr.
His match against Paul was also slated to be an exhibition until both boxers announced that this fight would be counted as a sanctioned match, making it part of their professional records.
Jake Paul explained how the match came to be on his podcast.
“I just want to make it clear that Mike Tyson was the one who wanted it to be a pro fight. Mike got into training camp and called up people on my team and [was] like, ‘Let’s do a pro fight. Is Jake down?’ Netflix was like, ‘Let’s make it a pro fight. We’re down.’
“I think he wants to put me in the dirt and to make a statement to all of boxing that he is and was the baddest man on the planet and that he could still get in there at this age and put down the young buck.”
Paul Has Been Bulking Up for Fight
Paul (9-1) has been in tearaway form in the boxing circuit since his professional debut in January 2020.
“I saw a YouTube of him at 16 doing weird dances. That’s not the guy I’m going to be fighting,” Tyson said last month. “This guy is going to come, he’s going to try to hurt me, which I’m accustomed to, and he’s going to be greatly mistaken.”
Earlier this month, Paul confirmed that he has added 30 pounds for the fight, which puts him at almost 230 pounds.
“I’m just getting to eat as much as possible, and it turns out my body carries this weight super well,” Paul said. “And I’m only growing. I think I’ll get up to 240 and then cut down so I’m, like, way faster. So my muscles are going to be so much stronger, and that speed will come through.”
Tyson vs. Paul Fight Logistics
The fight will include eight rounds that will last two minutes apiece. The boxing match will allow knockouts without the requirement of headgear. Tyson’s last fight against Roy Jones Jr. included a no-knockout clause to protect the boxers.
This fight will also be slightly different in that both boxers will be wearing 14-ounce gloves as opposed to the standard 10-ounce gloves, giving them a bit more protection. “I think it’s equal, just because the 14-ounce gloves are better for blocking punches,’’ Paul said. “But if a punch lands, it isn’t supposed to hurt as much because there’s more padding in the glove.”
“The safety of the contestants competing in the ring or the octagon is always the primary concern of TDLR staff. This competition is no different,” TDLR said in a statement.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
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