It’s a big week for Jake Paul.
For the new restaurant owner, he cut the ribbon on his first Dog Haus franchise in Arlington on Sunday afternoon.
For the social media star turned prize-fighting boxer, he is days away from the biggest fight of his career.
On Friday night at AT&T Stadium, Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) is set to face an icon in the lore of professional boxing, “The Baddest Man on the Planet” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), in the main event of one of the sport’s most anticipated events in modern history.
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Paul, 27, has love and respect for the legendary fighter more than three decades his elder, but knows the time is near for any fun and games to be put away.
“I’m inspired by Mike. He’s a legend and all of that. But come fight night, it’s a war,” Paul said.
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“He’s looking great. He’s looking strong. He’s thick and heavy. … I have to put all of the other emotions aside and focus on the fact that he’s trying to knock me out and take away my legacy and what I’m here to build in boxing.”
The Paul-Tyson event, which was originally scheduled to take place in July, has already become the largest gate in Texas state history for a combat sports event.
The previous record holder was Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders, which made $9,002,920 from the 66,065 tickets sold for a 2021 event at AT&T Stadium. Paul-Tyson has surpassed the Canelo-Saunders gate by 40% and holds the highest average ticket price for a combat sports event in state history, Most Valuable Promotions informed The Dallas Morning News.
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Paul recently sat down with The News in the weeks leading up to the fight to talk his training, preparation and relationship with Tyson ahead of the big event. Here are some highlights, edited for clarity:
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How’s training? How’s the body? I’ve seen some interesting Instagram posts. So the body, physique, how’s the preparation for the Tyson fight?
Paul: “Yeah. I ate a bunch of Dog Haus and got a big, big beer belly. No, [laughs] but I put on a fat suit and pissed a lot of people off. Half the people think it’s real. Half of them realize it’s me trolling, which is what I do best. But the preparation is going good. November 15, I will be ready.
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“I’m very excited. [Tyson]’s looking great. He’s looking strong. He’s thick and heavy. And, you know, I think tensions will build and rise, even though we’re friends and love and respect each other, I definitely sense that fight week won’t be like that. It’s gonna be a different type of energy, because we’re about to go to war, and so I have to put all of the other emotions aside and focus on the fact that he’s trying to knock me out and take away my legacy and what I’m here to build in boxing.”
Do you have the intention to make this the last fight of Mike Tyson’s career?
Paul: “Yeah, indeed, yeah. I know I’m going to win, and I know he’s going to be tough, but once I weather his storm, I’m just going to be able to outbox him, and I think he’ll be surprised by my power.”
Outside of just fighting Tyson, what message do you hope to send with Most Valuable Promotions, as an athlete and a promoter with this event — at AT&T Stadium, streaming on Netflix and hopefully a win to go along with it — as you move forward in your career?
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Paul: “I think there’s been a lot of doubt or haters, but at the end of the day, numbers don’t lie, and that’s what we’re proving here with this event and proving my boxing ability against one of the greatest to ever do it. And just to continue to break down barriers in the history of the sport of boxing and create records, you know, hopefully this will be the one most watched fights in the history of the sport. Hopefully we can do, you know, as big viewing numbers as the Super Bowl, and that’s what I’m here to do is make history.
“That’s really what it’s all about.”
Have you snuck in any, maybe special coaches or mentors from Mike Tyson’s past to give you any little hints, any cheat codes for Tyson?
Paul: “Yeah, interestingly enough, like Evander Holyfield has given me some good advice, not directly to me, but in an interview he did, he had some interesting strategies on fighting Mike and how to beat him that we also, my team and my coaches, also agree with.”
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How’s the experience doing the face off with Mike Tyson at the Cowboys game earlier this season, hanging out with Jerry Jones?
Paul: “It was great. Jerry’s a really awesome guy, very sharp, very cool. And it’s always surreal facing off with Tyson. I mean, he’s such a legend and such an icon, and this fight feels big. It is big. He’s massive. The stadium was roaring when they put us on the Jumbotron. So it’s all just a crazy experience, taking it all in and excited to deliver.”
Boxer Jake Paul (right) visits with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the Cowboys faced the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, September 15, 2024. Paul and his opponent Mike Tyson were on hand to promote their stadium fight. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
Your last fight against Mike Perry, you fought at 200 pounds. This is a heavyweight fight. Is there less of a burden to not have to cut weight this time? And what did the experience of fighting at that weight do for you?
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Paul: “It’s definitely way nicer to not have to cut weight, but definitely the cardio at heavyweight is way harder, the runs and swimming and sparring against 300-pound guys is very tough. So I think this has been the hardest camp overall, moving around at this heavier weight. But in the end, I know that being heavier is going to be an advantage for me. I’m playing at Mike Tyson’s weight and by his rules, and after I beat him, there can be no excuses, because I agreed to everything that he wanted.”
Do you think there was a maybe an advantage to the delay from July to November, getting to fight Perry at 200 as a little bit of preparation?
Paul: “Yeah. I mean, for sure, you know, more experience is always good, but regardless, I’m always ready for the fight no matter what.”
Was the fight ever in danger of potentially not happening or not happening at AT&T Stadium when it got delayed into football season?
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Paul: “No, I mean, we instantly just rescheduled it, you know, plan B, and kept on moving things forward.”
What is the experience been like for you and MVP building this new promotion, putting on a show that also has WBO and WBC title fights?
Paul: “Yeah, it’s been crazy how fast MVP has grown, and it’s a testament to what we’re doing in the sport — working with the biggest streaming platform throwing, you know, the biggest fight ever in the history of boxing, which sounds crazy to say, but it’s the truth. And it’s a testament to what Nakisa [Bidarian] and I have been able to do in such a short amount of time. And the future looks even brighter.”
And speaking of Netflix, obviously, Mike Tyson was a big draw. Is this sort of a one-and-done fight deal, or could this be the start of something with Netflix in a live streaming way?
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Paul: “I think it could be the start of something, for sure. I think it’s been great working with Netflix. I think the audience and the built-in team there is really awesome. And once we both have the event, and we walk away like, wow, that broke records and numbers, I think both of us are going to want to team up again and maybe make a longer-term partnership.”
Not to look too far ahead, but you’ve talked about wanting to become a world champion. You’ve mentioned doing it at cruiserweight. Is that still the plan?
Paul: “Definitely, definitely cruiserweight first. And it should happen, you know, in the next 24 months. But I’ll get through Mike Tyson and focus on what I can do to become world champion after that.”
Rewinding in your last fight in Dallas against Nate Diaz, you rode a tank into American Airlines Center. Any grandiose plans in the works for AT&T Stadium?
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Paul: “Yeah, you know me, I’ve always got stuff ready. So just plan on a whole entertaining night on Netflix, and people are going to tune in and get a show from me. Certainly.”
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