The upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match has so much intrigue surrounding it. Sure, Mike Tyson is 57 years old, but he’s still one of the most intimidating figures in combat sports. Sure, Jake Paul is a former YouTuber, but he seems to be taking his boxing career very seriously, as evidenced by his ability to force a split decision against Tommy Fury.
With each new piece of information that comes out about the fight, a litany of new opinions and predictions emerge from people anxiously waiting to see whether or not Tyson still has gas left in the tank. However, the most intriguing aspect of the fight is likely the rules that are being set.
Rumors have been spread constantly ever since the fight got announced. It’s difficult to determine what’s real and what’s fake. Will headgear be used? Will Jake’s brother, Logan, be involved? Will it be an official match or an exhibition? Conflicting reports are emerging left and right, but luckily, we have the answers.
Here are the official rules and odds for the fight between “The Problem Child” and “Iron Mike.”
Tyson vs. Paul odds:
As of March 7, 2024, DraftKings Sportsbook head oddsmaker Johnny Avello gave his prediction for odds on the Tyson-Paul bout.
- Jake Paul (-360)
- Mike Tyson (+300)
Will the Tyson-Paul fight be an exhibition or official match?
Although the fight has not been given an official designation yet, reports indicate that the fight is leaning towards being an exhibition. USA Today’s Josh Peter mentions that San Antonio boxing promoter Cameron Davies claimed that he has “spoken to a key member of the Texas Combatants Sports staff and is ’99 percent’ certain the Tyson-Paul fight will be classified as an exhibition.”
That begs the question: “What does an exhibition entail?”
For one, an exhibition held in Texas (which would be the case for Tyson-Paul) would mean that each round is only two minutes, as opposed to the traditional three-minute rounds in official matches. Furthermore, both fighters will wear larger, heavier 16-ounce gloves rather than 10-ounce gloves. While that may sound more dangerous, the extra weight comes from additional padding which would make the fight safer overall. Lastly, an exhibition does not have official judges to score the fight.
When will the match be given an official designation?
Although the fight’s promoter must submit their official card at least 21 days before the fight, we could get an answer long before then depending on when the promoter, Holden Boxing LLC, submits their card.
The expectation is for Holden Boxing to call for official pro fight. However, the ultimate decision for whether or not this will be an exhibition or sanctioned bout will come down to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations. According to their communications manager Tela Mange, “The promoter will need to submit proposed cards before we determine whether a particular contest would be considered as an exhibition or a professional fight, or how a proposed exhibition might be structured.”