Boxing fans were stunned when Mike Tyson agreed to come out of retirement to fight Jake Paul, although it was assumed an exhibition for weeks.

It has since been confirmed as a professional bout after Tyson pushed for “everything to be on the line,” and he had a major influence when it came to the fight rules too.


On July 20, either Tyson will add another legitimate win to his incredible boxing record, or Paul can say that he has beaten ‘Iron Mike’ in a competitive fight.

Either way, the professional aspect makes the fight more intriguing for fans, but it was Tyson that made sure it happened.

During their first press conference held in New York City on Monday, Paul revealed that Tyson’s team had requested a professional bout just one week after the fight contracts had been signed.

“Weeks after the contract was signed we got a call from Mike’s team and they were like ‘Hey, he wants it to be a pro fight for sure. He wants to put it all on the line,’” Paul said on Monday.

“So I respect Mike for that, and if he wanted that, I said ‘Let’s run it.’”

The official fight rules state that it will be a heavyweight bout, where knockouts are allowed, but there are only eight two-minute rounds. That rule was specifically requested by the 57-year-old and approved by Paul due to the entertainment factor.

One major concern from fans has been Tyson’s gas tank, due to his much older age, even though he is in incredible shape. Making the rounds shorter allows for more action and less conserving of energy, something Netflix will be grateful for.

Tyson was asked during the press conference if he made demands when it came to the rules, to which he replied: “Shorter rounds because I wanted more action. We only have two minutes with the fight going.”

Paul then added: “It’s gonna be a firefight, more punches, it’s going to be a sprint so it’s going to be more entertaining for the viewers.” The only other change compared to regular professional fights is that both Tyson and Paul will wear 14-ounce gloves, instead of the usual 10-ounce handwear.

Knockouts will still be allowed, and the result will be based on the judges scorecards should the fight go the distance. Tyson barely ever went the distance during his professional career, with 44 of his 50 fights wins coming via way of knockout.

He’s a lethal knockout artist and doesn’t appear to have lost any power in the training clips he has been sharing on social media. With two-minute rounds in operation, he will be able to swing freely without suffering for too long between rounds, and Paul has his work cut out.