Mike Tyson‘s comeback fight with Jake Paul is already breaking records.
As revealed by Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) prior to Friday’s heavyweight bout in Arlington, Texas, Tyson-Paul has generated more than $17.8 million at the gate to become boxing’s biggest box-office success in the United States outside of Las Vegas.
What’s more, Tyson-Paul has nearly doubled the previous record in Texas, when Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez defeated Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders at the same venue, AT&T Stadium, in 2021.
And outside of a 2016 UFC bout between Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez in New York, Friday’s fight card has registered the highest gate of any US combat sporting event outside of Las Vegas.
MVP, which is co-owned by Paul, expects more than 70,000 attendees at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. In total, the venue has a capacity of 80,000. Despite an abundance of seats, tickets weren’t cheap. Prices on the secondary market ranged from about $60 to nearly $2,000, while MVP was also offering a $2 million VIP experience that include ringside seats.
A reported 70,000 seats have been sold for the fight at AT&T Stadium, which holds 80,000
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul faceoff during Weigh-In at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving
Those 375 VIP seats have all been sold, according to MVP.
‘Numbers don’t lie,’ Paul said Wednesday. ‘People want to see this and that’s an amazing accomplishment.’
Both the 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul are believed to be making at least eight figures from this fight, while Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano will also set new highs for women’s boxing with their highly anticipated rematch on the undercard. Taylor previously beat Serrano by split decision in 2022 at Madison Square Garden.
Friday’s bout is sanctioned as a pro fight with some modifications, which has led some states to ban gambling on the outcome of Tyson-Paul. Furthermore, the two will be wearing 14-ounce gloves instead of the usual 10.
Jake Paul was a -250 betting favorite, according to BetMGM.
The bout was rescheduled from the spring after Tyson suffered an ulcer flareup aboard a cross-country flight. Now the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says his physical condition meets the criteria to step into the ring against Paul.