- Jake Paul will square off against Mike Tyson in a boxing match, streamed live on Netflix on November 15
- Paul referenced Tyson’s ear-biting controversy against Evander Holyfield in the latest pre-fight meeting between the pair
- Paul is the bookmakers’ favourite against the former heavyweight champion
Jake Paul is doing everything he can to get under Mike Tyson’s skin before the pair meet in the ring inside AT&T Stadium in Dallas, tomorrow (November 15). Even bringing up Tyson’s most infamous in-ring moment in an attempt to rile the former heavyweight champion of the world.
During a press conference at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, host Ariel Helwani pointed out an expensive-looking piece of jewellery sitting atop the YouTuber’s ear. The piece, from VOBARA, reportedly set Paul back $100,000, according to TMZ and was a not-so-subtle reference to the time Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a WBA heavyweight title fight in 1997.
“I’m not getting my s*** bit off on Friday night,” Paul said after Helwani pointed the ear piece out, “So I got my diamond, spiked, ear covers right there.“
Tyson was memorably disqualified during his WBA heavyweight title rematch with Holyfield in June, 1997. Having lost the pair’s first meeting by TKO in November, 1996, Iron Mike rapidly became frustrated with Holyfield’s tactics and resorted to biting the champion’s ear, taking a chunk out of it in the process. The fight was promptly stopped and Tyson’s boxing license was revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who also fined him $3 million plus legal fees.
While Tyson’s license was reinstated in 1998, the remainder of his career fizzled out rather embarrassingly, with a decisive defeat at the hands of Lennox Lewis and then embarrassing upset losses to Danny Williams and Irish journeyman Kevin McBride (who would go onto lose six of his next eight fights before retiring). The ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ has not gloved up for a fight in 19 years, but, at 58 years of age, is readying himself for one last dance with the YouTuber-turned-boxer who has made a name for himself in the boxing world by facing non-boxing athletes well past their primes in fights that have drawn a sizable amount of criticism from boxing fans and pundits alike.
During a recent pre-fight episode of ‘Countdown: Paul vs Tyson’, Tyson is seen watching Paul cut a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani in which the YouTuber declares, “Mike, I love you, but this is my sport now. It’s an honor to get in the ring with you. I am so, so honored. You’re a legend, but I’m going to take your throne, brother.”
Laughing gently, Tyson responds to the camera, “There’s a fundamental difference between me and Jake. He’s a manufactured killer. Television and papers made him a killer. He’s manufactured. I’m a natural born killer.”
