ARLINGTON, Texas — The slap heard ’round the world struck Jake Paul on the left cheek Thursday night.
Mike Tyson whipped his open-palmed right hand across Paul’s face at the weigh-in before their wild and weird and puzzling event.
In a boxing ring.
At midfield in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Based on social media reaction, the slap fueled excitement but also speculation that the fight is less than legitimate. But there’ll be no slapping when the gloves go on during an odd pairing.
Tyson, the 58-year-old former heavyweight champ, will be fighting as a pro for the first time in almost two decades against Paul, the 27-year-old social media sensation.
Netflix will livestream it to 280 million viewers.
A crowd of about 70,000 is expected to watch it live.
It’s only a matter of time before we’ll all know: What comes after the slap?
Follow along with USA TODAY Sports for all the developments from the undercard, to the walk-ins to the fight.
Friday, Nov. 15.
The main card for the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight starts at 8 p.m. ET. Tyson and Paul are expected to make their way to the ring at about 11 p.m. ET.
AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
Netflix. A subscription is required. Monthly subscriptions start at $6.99.
BetMGM‘s up-to-date odds for the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul:
- Tie: +1000
- Paul win: -200
- Tyson win: +195
New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites
- Heavyweight: Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul
- Super Lightweight: Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano for Taylor’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO women’s super-lightweight titles
- Welterweight: Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos for Barrios’ WBC welterweight title
- Super Middleweight: Neeraj Goyat vs. Whindersson Nunes
- Super Middleweight: Shadasia Green vs Melinda Watpool for vacant women’s WBO super middleweight title
- Super Lightweight: Lucas Bahdi vs. Armando Casamonica
- Featherweight: Bruce Carrington vs Dana Coolwell
There are three different types of Netflix subscriptions: standard with ads, standard and premium. All Netflix users, regardless of subscription tier, will be able to watch the fight for no additional cost. Here are the different Netflix subscriptions, their prices and what they come with:
- Standard with ads ($6.99 per month):
- Ad-supported, all mobile games − as well as most movies and TV shows − are available.
- Download and watch on two supported devices at a time.
- Watch in 1080p (Full HD)
- Standard ($15.49 per month):
- Unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows and mobile games.
- Download and watch on two supported devices at a time.
- Watch in 1080p (Full HD)
- Can add one extra member who doesn’t live with you.
- Premium ($22.99 per month):
- Unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows and mobile games.
- Watch on four supported devices at a time.
- Download on six supported devices at a time.
- Watch in 4K (Ultra HD) + HDR and with Netflix spatial audio.
- Can add up to two extra members who don’t live with you.
- Two-minute rounds.
- Eight rounds.
- 14-ounce gloves.
Mike Tyson is 58 years old. His birthday is June 30, 1966.
Mike Tyson is 50-6 during his career with 44 knockouts.
Born on Jan. 17, 1997, Jake Paul is 27 years old.
Jake Paul’s record is 10-1 with seven knockouts.
Some of you may be wondering why this fight, why someone who is 58, fighting someone decades younger, has become such a big deal. On its surface, this bout is a joke. It’s silly. It shows the lows boxing has reached. But dig deeper. Look specifically at Tyson.
The fact that you know that name, and it catches your attention, says it all. Tyson hasn’t fought in years and yet you’re reading this, and getting your popcorn ready to watch this thing. That’s because Tyson has built up a currency as a cultural force that lasts to this day. If you’re of a certain age (raises hand) Tyson was as much a part of the culture as almost any big star alive today.
He embodied America’s fascination with violence. Every fight we waited to see how badly he would knock out his opponent. Then things shifted and we waited to see if he would ever fall. Like many champions, his fall was as must-watch as his rise.
The interest in this fight today is a piece of what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s. Only multiply it by a 1,000. This is the power of Tyson. This is the power that resonates today and likely will for years to come. — Mike Freeman
The expected crowd of 70,000 will fall short of Paul’s promise of 90,000. But the ticket prices reflect an increased demand over the past few days.
Prices for get-in tickets listed on Seat Geek on Friday climbed to $50 from as low as $30 less than two weeks ago. But the more significant spike came from field-level seats, according to seasoned ticket broker Patrick Ryan.
Over the past three days, Ryan said, prices for those seats have tripled, to $1,800 from $600 apiece.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 80,000 but can expand to 90,000 with Standing Room Only tickets. Those tickets have not been put on sale. — Josh Peter
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