Jake Paul says Mike Tyson wasn't the only option for the Netflix fight. He offers details.
(This story was updated to correct typos.)
The fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson came together in stages and the matchup was not the only one under consideration, Paul explained during his podcast that posted online Thursday.
“It had always been a conversation (between) our teams,’’ Paul said. “Like, 'They should fight, they should fight.’ But we got the deal done.’’
Paul was referring to the deal between Most Valuable Promotions, the company he co-founded, and Netflix, which will livestream the fight scheduled to be held Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“Netflix was like, ‘All right, go out and talk to three different opponents,’ ” Paul said. “And we talked to Tommy Fury and Mike Tyson.’’
Fury, the brother of former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, handed Paul his only defeat. Fury won their eight-round cruiserweight bout in February 2023 by split decision, and the Netflix deal offered a chance for a rematch.
“Tommy had a big ego, was trying to get paid way more than he was worth and he doesn't understand his value,’’ Paul said. “His dad is basically his manager. His dad doesn't understand the boxing business and the state of it currently. And they didn't understand that this would be one of the most viewed fights ever.
“So they were saying no while Mike Tyson was saying yes, and we've got it figured out with Mike.’’
The heavyweight bout between Tyson, 58, and Paul, 27, was announced in March. It has since become one of the most hyped fights in recent memory.