FILE — Mike Tyson (L) and Jake Paul (R)
- Mike Tyson will return to the ring on July 20 to fight Jake Paul in a boxing match streamed on Netflix.
- Fans are already betting on the fight, and is expected to be the most wagered on match of the year.
- Promoters are offering a $2 million VIP package to the fight.
Mike Tyson's return to the boxing ring to fight Jake Paul this summer is already seeing soaring ticket prices and strong bettor interest.
The July 20 bout, which will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and be streamed globally on Netflix, is expected to be the most heavily bet on boxing match of the year. Fans are already lining up for tickets to see the former heavyweight champion Tyson, who will be 58 at that time, take on the 27-year old social media influencer turned boxer Paul.
The fight, which will be sanctioned as a professional bout, will be 8 rounds, consisting of two minutes each. Tyson last fought in an exhibition match in 2020, but his last professional fight took place in 2005.
The event will also feature lightweight world champion Katie Taylor vs. boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano. The two previously achieved the first ever sold out women's headline boxing event at Madison Square Garden.
Most Valuable Promotions, the company co-owned by Paul that is promoting the event, said more than 121,000 fans have signed up for presale access for the fight. Tickets go on sale officially next Thursday.
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"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that literally touches six generations," said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP.
Money Report
Bidarian said 35,000 people have indicated they want to sit on the floor of the venue and over 10,000 have said they want VIP seats.
Most Valuable Promotions also has a unique offer for the fight — a $2 million VIP package. The promotion said it will include two ringside seats, which it said have never been offered before in boxing.
The package will also include four first-row floor seats for the event, four second-row floor seats, a pre-fight locker room photo with both Paul and Tyson, gloves signed by both fighters and two-night luxury penthouse accommodations at the hotel where the fighters will stay.
"We're trying to bring awareness and exposure back to boxing in a gigantic way. That has not been the case for many, many years," Bidarian said.
For those who can't shell out the $2 million, secondary market sites like Gametime have released ticket prices for the event. Currently, the lowest-cost tickets are available for $357 each, and ringside seats are selling for $8,067 each.
Gambling interest in the fight has increased, too. BetMGM is already taking bets on the bout. The odds show Jake Paul as the current favorite (-145), but 70% of the money is being bet on Tyson.
"This is the type of mega fight that will draw in multiple demographics: Tyson supporters, Jake Paul haters and casual sports fans," said Alex Rella, senior trader at BetMGM. "I fully expect this to be the most bet on boxing match of the year."
Financial terms of the fight, and what Netflix will receive from it, have not been released. Netflix will make the bout available to all subscribers at no cost as the streaming giant continues its push into sports.
Tyson and Paul are expected to make eight figures, Bidarian said.
"We're hoping that this becomes the most viewed streaming event in sports in the U.S.," he added.
