Mike Tyson has recently shared some details on his upcoming fight with YouTuber Jake Paul - and it’s safe to say boxing fans aren’t happy about them.
The former heavyweight champion is stepping into the ring with the social media star this July, and ever since it was announced, fans have been excited to (hopefully) see Paul get knocked the fk out by Iron Mike.
While there’s been a lot of excitement surrounding the fight, there’s also been a lot of criticism. Concerns around it being ‘rigged,’ a ‘money grab’ and ‘just a sparring session’ have been rife amongst fans.
One reddit user wrote, “If Jake Paul doesn't leave the ring legitimately on a stretcher… then we'll know it was all rigged and just a money grab. They seem to be doing a LOT of publicity with each other to promote the fight. That's generally a sign that it's not going to be an actual fight.”
Speaking to Fox News, Tyson has now clarified that it won’t be an official fight, but an exhibition bout under ‘real fight’ rules.
"This is called an exhibition, but if you look up 'exhibition' you will not see any of the laws we’re fighting under. This is a fight," Tyson said.
An exhibition bout usually means the score won’t be counted towards their professional records and the rules can be more flexible.
"In an exhibition, there is a referee but no judges and no winner is declared,” the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, who approved the event, also told BBC Sport.
Fans were quick to share their thoughts on the confirmation of the exhibition, with one person commenting “it’s an exhibition fight (love tap) with a few bad words and a tickle punch to wake up every round. All hype…”
“If Paul was really interested in a championship, he would be fighting up the professional ranks instead of doing sideshow bouts,” another commented.
“This is not boxing, it’s a circus act,” a third wrote.
Speaking about Paul, Tyson also told Fox News, "This is a guy who's going to try and hurt me, which I'm accustomed to, and he's going to be greatly mistaken.
"Right now, I'm scared to death. As the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become because it's reality, and in reality I'm invincible."
Whether you’re on board with the event, or dead against the idea - surely it’ll be an entertaining spectacle.
Mike Tyson v Jake Paul is set to go ahead on 20 July and will be livestreamed on Netflix.
