Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will officially be a professional boxing match.

Jake Paul, Mike Tyson

Last month, it was announced that ‘The Problem Child’ and ‘Iron Mike’ will meet in a boxing match. The two will compete live on Netflix on July 20th, in a fight going down from AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Jake Paul has also revealed that they’re expecting upwards of 96,000 fans in attendance for the fight this summer.

However, that was essentially where the details ended. One of the top questions surrounding the bout was if it would be a real fight or not. Jake Paul stated upon the fight announcement that they were expecting to make the bout a professional boxing match. However, Mike Tyson later came out and stated that the fight would be an exhibition. For a few weeks, it seemed that the two couldn’t get on the same page.

However, earlier today, fans got their answer as to if the fight will be a real one. As reported by ESPN, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will be a professional boxing match. However, the rules for this bout are a little bit different than your standard bout. While there won’t be headgear or anything like that, the fight will be shorter than normal. Instead of three-minute rounds, the fight will have two-minute rounds.

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson officially sanctioned as a professional boxing match

The contest will only be eight rounds, and will also feature 14-ounce gloves for the heavyweight bout. Despite the small changes in terms of the ruleset, the fight will still go on each man’s professional record. If Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson was an exhibition as rumored, that wouldn’t have been the case.

For Mike Tyson, the boxing match with Jake Paul will be his first professional fight in nearly two decades. While the former heavyweight champion fought Roy Jones Jr. to a draw in 2020, the bout was an exhibition. Tyson’s last professional contest was a knockout loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005. ‘Iron Mike’ famously quit on the stool that night in Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, Jake Paul is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Ryan Bourland earlier this year. That victory was the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s third victory in a row. After losing to Tommy Fury last February, Paul scored wins over professional boxer Andre August and former UFC title challenger Nate Diaz.

What do you make of this boxing news? Will you watch Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson? Who do you expect to come out on top in that heavyweight bout?