Mike Tyson, one of the greatest boxers of all time, is making a highly anticipated comeback at the age of 58. He will face off against Jake Paul in a match that has captured the attention of boxing fans worldwide. This fight is not just about the two combatants but also about the financial aspects and the impact it will have on the sport.

The Battle of Titans: Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

How Much is Mike Tyson Getting Paid for the Fight?

Celebrated for his remarkable boxing career, Mike Tyson, now 58 years old, has an estimated net worth of $10 million. However, his career earnings, including $400 million in fight purses, are in the hundreds of millions. Over the past decade, he has fought his way back from bankruptcy in 2013. Although the exact amount he earned for this fight has not been revealed, online sources estimate it to be around $20 million. This is similar to what he earned in his 1988 match against Michael Spinks, which was a record purse at the time (worth roughly $53 million today after adjusting for inflation). That bout lasted less than two minutes, with Tyson knocking out the previously undefeated Spinks in 91 seconds. In 1992, Tyson was imprisoned for six years after being convicted of raping a teenage beauty-pageant contestant. He was released on parole after three and a half years and returned to boxing in 1995, defeating Peter McNeely by technical knockout in under 90 seconds. Tyson went on to earn $30 million for each of his next four matches, including the infamous 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield where he bit off a piece of his opponent's right ear. He was disqualified but was allowed to keep the purse. At a recent news conference, Jake Paul wore a diamond-spiked ear cover, referring to the incident. Tyson has also launched ear-shaped marijuana edibles through his company, Tyson 2.0, a premium cannabis brand he started in 2021. The brand generated an estimated $150 million in revenue in 2023.

How Much is Jake Paul Getting Paid for the Fight?

Jake Paul, 27 years old, is set to earn $40 million for this fight. He is a top social influencer with 27 million followers on Instagram alone and is also the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the company promoting the event in partnership with Netflix. His net worth is estimated at $80 million. With a 10-1 fight record against mixed martial artists and other pro-boxing newcomers, Paul is not lacking in confidence or showmanship. His cocky attitude earned him the nickname "El Gallo de Dorado" or the Golden Rooster, coined by fans in Puerto Rico. Before that, he was called "The Problem Child" based on his online persona. At an open training session this week with Tyson at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, Paul donned a rooster hat and red-feathered skirt over his boxing trunks, embodying social media's melding of entertainment and sports.

What's the Projected Economic Impact of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul Fight in North Texas?

In a TikTok video posted Tuesday, a shirtless Paul, with a prosthetic belly to look out of shape, placed stacks of money on his protruding stomach and offered an additional $5 million to Mike Tyson if he could last more than four rounds. If Tyson didn't, he would have to get a tattoo saying "I love Jake Paul." Some users on Reddit commented that modern boxing has become a joke with such freak show fights. As reported by USA Today, Tyson and his camp have not publicly responded to the offer. The event was originally set for July 20 but was postponed and rescheduled for November 15 after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles in May. As of early Friday evening, gate receipts at AT&T Stadium brought in $17.8 million in revenue, with MVP expecting more than 70,000 people to fill the stadium with a seating capacity of 80,000.

Who do Gamblers Think will Win the Fight?

Tyson enters the ring on Friday, nearly 20 years since his last professional fight, as a +160 underdog according to the latest betting odds from DraftKings. This means a $100 wager on post-retirement Iron Mike will bring in a $160 profit if he wins. At -200, Paul is the favorite to win, and bettors will have to place a $200 wager to make a $100 profit if he prevails. Although it remains to be seen how much will be wagered in total, the event is attracting some large bets of $500,000. Gamblers are backing Tyson, with 69% of all bets currently on the former undisputed world champion to emerge victorious. "While Tyson is 58 years old now, people see one of the greatest boxers of all time at a favorable price and jump at that opportunity," said Johnny Avello, director of sports operations at DraftKings. "While it won't match up to an event like the Super Bowl, it could certainly be our most bet boxing match of the year." Not everyone will be able to place a bet on this epic bout as the fight is sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and changes in the rules disqualify it from being bet on in at least seven U.S. states.

How to Watch the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Fight

For most fans, the best seats will be at home as the fight will be streaming worldwide on Netflix. A standard Netflix subscription plan with ads is $6.99 a month, and the broadcast starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time. This fight marks Netflix's biggest bet to date on live sports. Netflix, with 282 million subscribers in over 190 countries, has recently tested the waters by airing exhibition events in golf and tennis.