A ballyhooed heavyweight boxing showdown received the final approval on Monday.
The July 20 bout between former champion Mike Tyson and social media influencer Jake Paul in Arlington, Texas, was sanctioned for a professional fight by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
The fight is scheduled for eight two-minute rounds and will be broadcast on Netflix. It will count on both boxers’ pro record and feature 14-ounce gloves.
Whether it’s entertainment or sport, it’s still a pro fight that bettors could flock to wager on, and it didn’t take one U.S. sportsbook long to react to the news with Paul vs. Tyson odds. The SuperBook Nevada quickly made Paul a -180 favorite. Tyson is +150 to pull off the upset.
Boxing
— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) April 29, 2024
Saturday, July 20
at Arlington, Texas
Mike Tyson +150
Jake Paul -180@SuperBookNV
FanDuel is expecting to post odds at a later date. Other online sportsbooks are likely to follow.
Even though the fight was announced months ago, sportsbooks wouldn’t offer any odds until it was sanctioned. With the age differences and rules to account for, it took some time to approve the bout.
The champ
Tyson, 57, is the former heavyweight champion who hasn’t won a professional bout since 2003. He battled Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition fight in 2020.
Still, he’s one of the most revered fighters of all time. Tyson took the sport by storm in 1985 when won his first 19 bouts by knockout and became the youngest boxer to ever claim the heavyweight title belt at 20 years old.
Tyson, who squared off in high-profile fights with Evander Holyfield, faced legal battles and incarceration during his boxing career but fought professionally until his 2005 retirement.
The Betr co-founder
Paul, 27, has a 9-1 record with six knockouts. He skyrocketed onto the boxing scene in 2020 when the YouTuber took on professional fights with various athletes.
Paul got more serious about boxing in 2023 when he faced professional Tyson Fury and lost.
Paul is also the co-founder of Betr, a growing mobile sports betting and daily fantasy sports operator licensed in seven U.S. states.
