At best a crude pantomime, at worst a little dangerous – the sports entertainment absurdity that is Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson takes place on Friday amid a chorus of disapproval from the boxing industry.
The bout pits Paul, a 10-1 professional fighter and social media celebrity, against Tyson, the former heavyweight champion of the world.
The fascination, or at least one of them, stems from the fact that Paul is a novice boxer, and Tyson, for a time in the 1980s and early 1990s, was the most feared man in the sport. The talent gap is enormous.
Levelling matters up is the fact that Tyson is 58, has suffered with health problems, and last boxed professionally in 2005 when he was battered into submission by journeymen like Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. At that stage he was a three-round fighter on his best night – and that was 20 years ago.
Tyson’s mythology as the “baddest man on the planet” has long outlived his ability to back it up and despite Paul’s limitations, at 27, he is the younger man by 31 years.
"This is dangerous, irresponsible and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the sport of boxing,” said Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who has revealed he is considering leaving the arena once his fighter Katie Taylor is done with her rematch against Amanda Serrano in the co-main event.
"I am in awe of [Tyson], he's one of my favourite ever fighters, one of the greatest of all time – but he's a 58-year-old man. You only need to speak to him and look at him to know this guy should not be in a ring again."
In saner times it’s an idea that might not have made it out of the planning room. Yet through the lens of late-2024 Americana it is set to fill the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Texas and has been picked up by Netflix.
The unease of boxing’s power brokers is simple to understand. They spend their careers attempting to lure in the casual sports fan, precisely the type of viewer who might be tempted to fire up Netflix this weekend.
So, when what is essentially little more than a gimmick underwhelms or the worst-case scenario that a participant is injured, it has the potential to do major damage to their business.
“I caution myself, I don’t look at it as boxing, I look at it as them just using the boxing ring as a format,” said Todd DeBoef of US promotional company Top Rank.
That format was born in 2017 when Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor raked in almost half a billion dollars between them for a boxing versus MMA crossover bout in which the latter never stood a chance.
That event proved that a huge market existed and there has been a steady flow of plastic prizefighting ever since.
That has ranged from the low-rent Misfits franchise up to more credible contests like Tyson Fury and then Anthony Joshua fighting the ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou – a crossover fight Hearn had fewer qualms about promoting.
Jake and brother Logan Paul have been at the forefront of it. Logan fought Mayweather before pivoting into the WWE, while Jake has successfully transformed himself from internet prankster and “Gen Z” influencer into a full-time combat athlete.
Seeking to monetise his fame he staged several lucrative bouts and racked up a series of victories over retired MMA fighters and other US sports stars.
On the one occasion he faced an actual boxer he lost on points against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia. Although Fury, the half-brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson, is little more than a novice himself and is better known in the UK for being on reality show Love Island.
“Iron” Mike, whose chequered past is well-documented, has reinvented himself as an entrepreneur and avuncular pundit, a far cry from the venomous heel who once told Lennox Lewis he wanted to “eat his children”.
Paul’s fans are his fans. They’d pay to watch him fight anyone – and they have done in their droves.
By bringing in Tyson – at a reported cost of $20 million – he has tapped into the mainstream and sprinkled some stardust on his brand.
Understandably, many believe this is little more than cosplay, and the fact that the fight is set for eight two-minute rounds with 14oz gloves helps bolster that impression.
A bout more WWE than authentic boxing – that Tyson will huff and puff for the crowd, going hard to the body and light to the head, before succumbing to a pre-determined result and everyone goes home happy, with the protagonists many millions the richer.
As crazy as it sounds, that’s actually a desirable outcome – a multi-million-dollar heist certainly being more palatable than the notion of Paul exploiting a 31-year age gap against a much-loved and pensionable former fighter to elevate his own celebrity.
Of course, the idea that Tyson might roll back years and deliver an unscripted knockout on behalf of boomers everywhere is what is really driving sales.
And, if recent events have taught us anything, it’s that age is no barrier to victorious comebacks in the US.
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Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
MATCH INFO
Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)
Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10
Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)
Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15
Gladiators win by six wickets
Company%20profile
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
