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Is it a circus? Or is introducing a whole new generation of fans into the sport of boxing?

Whatever you think of Jake Paul, you cannot deny his ability to generate masses of hype, and whilst boxing reporter Eddie Hearn has condemned the irresponsible nature of the 58-year-old veteran getting in the ring with the controversial Ohio YouTuber, this is a fight which is generating a lot of interest across the world.

Originally scheduled to take place in July, this fight was pushed back to November after boxing legend Mike Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up.

Friday 15th November now sees the bout between Paul and Fury scheduled to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Netflix users will rejoice in that for the first time in a while, the boxing is not on a standard pay-per-view platform.

Due to the safety concerns expressed for this fight, the boxing gloves will be larger than the standard ones used in professional boxing, the rounds will be shorter (two minutes instead of three) and the fight will be limited to eight rounds (as opposed to twelve).

When did Tyson last fight?

One has to look back to 2005 for the last time Mike Tyson participated in a competitive boxing match which saw him lose in what many would have assumed to be the last fight of his career against Kevin McBride.

Almost 20 years is an extremely long time for a break in elite sports and whilst Jake Paul is not your standard run-of-the-mill professional fighter, many pundits claim that such a fight makes a mockery of the sport.

According to ESPN, this fight is going to be the biggest age gap between boxers in professional history. Jake Paul is just 27 years old, making a 31-year difference.

Tyson’s legacy

Mike Tyson was a ferocious fighter in his prime, and who can forget his infamous incident in which he bit the ear of Evander Holyfield?

Mike Tyson won 50 fights in his stellar career with a massive 44 of those resulting in knockouts. The Brooklyn prodigy wasn’t invisible, having lost 6 times in his career.

Mike Tyson was an incredible boxer and without a doubt one of the greats of the last 20th century. The question of course is whether he can rediscover his natural talent having suffered a long string of medical issues, including chronic back issues towards the end of his career.

Boxer or YouTuber?

Is Jake Paul an actual boxer or is he a YouTuber who uses boxing as an (albeit effective) publicity stunt?

Jake Paul is not a bad boxer. He has 10 wins in his newfound boxing career, including one against American mixed martial arts fighter Nate Diaz.

How many boxers (currently in the sport) has Paul faced in his 10-1 career? Just the one. Paul lost to Tommy Fury (brother of former heavyweight Tyson Fury) in what many skeptics will claim is the only ordinary boxing match he has participated in.

Paul is of course still with his plaudits, with many impressed by his technique and natural flare given that he picked up the sport so late in life.

If Paul wants to be taken seriously as a boxer though, he will need to start fighting more boxers his age.

The bookies see youth being the difference in this one, with Jake Paul as the current favourite across Irish bookmakers.

Jake Paul Odds

Bet365	Unibet	Ladbrokes
8/15	12/25	4/7

Mike Tyson Odds

Bet365	Unibet	Ladbrokes
15/8	19/10	9/5

Draw Odds

Bet365	Unibet	Ladbrokes
9/1	9/1	9/1