Photos Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix & Amanda Westcott/Most Valuable Promotions
NEW YORK, NY – May 13, 2023 – Today at the iconic Apollo Theater in New York, the Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) and the Baddest Man on the Planet Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) came face to face for the first time since Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced their upcoming fight. Paul vs. Tyson is set for an eight-round professional bout with two-minute rounds and will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
In the highly anticipated co-main event, Matchroom’s undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) will defend her undisputed title over 10, two-minute rounds against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) in the most anticipated rematch in women’s boxing history.
Over 120,000 people have signed up for early access tickets here. All remaining tickets will go on sale on Thursday, May 16 at 12pm ET. Netflix and MVP will host a second Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano press conference later that day, at 7:30pm CT, at Texas Live! in Arlington, Texas.
In today’s press conference hosted by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani, Paul, Tyson, Taylor, and Serrano had plenty to say about the upcoming fight.
Jake Paul Quotes
On how hard it was to get Mike Tyson: Yeah no, he was game. I think he’s always wanted to do this. This has been a long time coming. We’ve been calling each other out for years and we finally got to make it happen on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world, and things just keep on getting bigger and better. The co-main event [Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano]… I mean this is quite literally history that we’re looking at right here. Mike wanted this. Mike wanted it to be a pro fight. He wants the war, and so I respect that. I respect him for taking this fight, for stepping up to try to put an end to me because that’s what all these fighters have been trying to do is end the YouTuber and if Mike can do that, then he’s a hero.
On how the deal came together with Netflix: Yeah, look, it is Most Valuable Promotions that have been changing the game since we came into the promotional business and we just continue to level up and do things differently and see gaps in the market that no one else has identified. We wanted to work with Netflix, they liked the idea and see the vision in what we’re building, what type of events we can put on. This is quite literally the biggest fight of the 21st century because of the fact that it’s Mike Tyson versus me, but also the fact that it’s in 700 million households on Netflix for free, for everyone who’s a subscriber to watch.
On those who doubt him: I’m going to show the world that I can outbox Mike Tyson, prove everyone wrong, and show that I will be the one doing the killing.
On the importance of it being a pro fight: After the contract was signed, we got a call from Mike’s team and they were like, ‘Hey, he wants it to be a pro fight for sure. He wants that. He wants to put it all on the line.’ I respect Mike for that and if he wanted it to be that, then let’s run it.
On taking on Mike Tyson’s power: I’m a natural born heavyweight. This is what I was born to do, to move up into this weight class. I’m going to show Mike who has more power because he’s underestimating me. I think everyone else is underestimating me and I believe that I hit harder. I know it’s going to be tough. I know I’m going to have to fight through adversity. I know I might even go to the canvas. I’m scared, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not about the fear stopping me. It’s about going into it, even though I am scared. That’s what true bravery is.
On whether he can take a hit from Mike Tyson: Yeah, look, they call him Iron Mike Tyson, but I’m titanium Jake Paul.
Mike Tyson Quotes
On why he ultimately said yes to the fight: It was a no-brainer. He was a new up and coming guy on the scene, and I like shaking the sports world to its core and I’m doing it now. It’s just something I want to do.
On their age difference: I’m beautiful. That’s all I can say. (Crowd roars with laughter.)
On whether the goal is to end Paul: Once he’s in that ring, he has to fight like his life depends on it, because it will be.
On the modified rules: I wanted the shorter rounds because I wanted more action. If we only have two minutes, we’ll fight more.
Katie Taylor Quotes
On whether we’re headed to a trilogy or putting the rivalry to bed: The trilogy is not on my mind right now. I beat her her the first time, and I plan on beating her the second time
On how the fight came together: Well, I just got a phone call from my manager Brian a few weeks ago saying I was going to be on the same card as Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. And this is just a dream for me. I think last year my family had said to me, what do you want to do before I retire? Is there anything I want to achieve in a sport or anybody who I’d want to meet? And one of the things I said is I’d love to meet Mike Tyson and here you beside me, an icon of the sport, a legend of the sport. And this is just incredible.
On being on the same card as Mike Tyson: He’s just a legend and icon on the sport. And I fell in love with a sport in the nineties and Mike Tyson was the biggest name of boxing during that time. He was ferocious and is super exciting to watch and he’s a real historian as well. I love your knowledge of boxing. I love listening…. I just cannot believe I’m sitting next to Mike Tyson right now. I’m pinching myself.
On fighting at 140 pounds: Yeah, I feel really good at this weight….lots of women fighters do go up and down the weights, and so I do feel very, very strong this way. The last fight myself and Amanda fought, it was an epic fight. It was an iconic fight. It was in front of 20,000 people in Madison Square Garden. It felt like the whole of Puerto Rico and Ireland were there on the stage during that night and now we get to do it again in front of 100,000 people. This is amazing for the sport live on Netflix. Just thank you so much to MVP for giving us this opportunity. This is absolutely iconic.
On advice she has for women that want to learn how to box: Just go for it. I think they’re the hardest step. Sometimes just a first step into a boxing gym. It can be intimidating to step inside the boxing gym. It takes a lot of courage. So the first step is always the hardest. So just go over it and don’t let anybody out work in the gym.
Amanda Serrano Quotes
On getting a chance to avenge her loss to Katie: I think it was always going to happen because Katie and my name are always going to be attached to each other no matter what, and I’m glad to be a part of this to be alongside Katie Taylor. She’s a great champion, but we’re going to go out there and prove to the world that we deserve this platform.
On moving up to the super lightweight class: Listen, everyone knows I’m the unified featherweight champion. I’ve said it many times, anything over that [weight], it’s hard for me. Obviously [at] 135, I [didn’t get the win against Katie], but for the opportunity to fight Katie Taylor [again], I took the fight [at] 140. Her team said, ‘you’ve got to do it at 140’. I really want the fight. The fight is for the fans, so greatness requires sacrifice. So once again, I’m sacrificing my body. I’m sacrificing everything to go up three divisions. The last time was two divisions. I believe I won. I heard Katie, I think going up another division, I can do the same thing. My power was going to come with me and this is a great opportunity for both of us and it is what it is. I just got to eat more. I’m a Latina, so I get to eat a lot more rice.
On what she’s bringing to the ring on Saturday, July 20: [I’m going] to go out there and give it my all. I got training. It’s a little different. I’m training smarter, not harder, and I’m going out there being vintage.
On a possible trilogy vs. Katie: I mean, we’ll see that night if Katie wants it. I don’t know. We’ll see. I’m just concentrating on this fight, concentrating on making the 140 and going out there and giving it my all.
On recovery from her March eye injury and what she’s looking forward to: I’m one hundred percent fine. It was the eyelid; it wasn’t in the eyeball, so I’m completely fine. I’m good and ready to go on July 20th. I want to thank everybody at MVP, my trainer, Jordan Maldonado, Netflix, everybody, even Katie Taylor’s team for making this happen. I’m super excited. We’re going to be fighting in Jerry’s world, so I’m excited and I can’t wait till July 20th. I’ll become a two division undisputed champion. What can I say?
About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)
Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.
