Jake Paul, a former child star and social media influencer who began professional boxing in 2020, will square off with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson Friday in a match that will be broadcast live around the world on Netflix.
Here is what we know about how much Paul and Tyson are being paid, as well as other financial aspects of an event that many consider more of a spectacle than a sport.
How much does Mike Tyson get paid for the fight?
Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, Mike Tyson, 58, has an estimated net worth of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That’s a modest sum compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars “Iron Mike,” as he’s known, has amassed in his career, including $400 million in fight purses, according to Forbes. Over the past decade, Tyson has also struggled to come back after filing for bankruptcy in 2013 at the age of 37.
Although promoters have not revealed exactly how much Tyson will make in Friday’s fight, reports from online sources including DraftKings Network estimate he will earn around $20 million.
That’s about the same amount that Tyson won in his match against Michael Spinks in 1988, a record purse at the time (worth about $53 million today, taking into account inflation). This fight lasted less than two minutes, with Tyson knocking out the previously undefeated Spinks in 91 seconds.
In 1992, Tyson was sent to prison for six years after being convicted of raping a teenage beauty contestant. He was paroled after three and a half years, returning to boxing in 1995 in a match against Peter McNeely, who was knocked out by technical knockout in less than 90 seconds.
Tyson would earn $30 million for each of his next four matches, including an infamous 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield in which Tyson bit off a piece of his opponent’s right ear. Tyson was disqualified from the fight, had his boxing license revoked and fined $3 million, but was allowed to keep the purse.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Paul wore a diamond-studded earmuff, a pointed reference to the incident. But when it comes to shedding light on ear biting, Tyson has already one-upped Paul, releasing ear-shaped marijuana edibles (with Holyfield’s consent) through his company, Tyson 2.0, a premium cannabis brand he launched in 2021. The brand generated an estimated revenue of $150 million in 2023, according to Forbes Australia.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
How much does Jake Paul get paid for the fight?
Jake Paul, 27, is expected to earn $40 million, according to an estimate from DraftKings Network and other sources, double what Tyson is expected to receive for the fight. A simple explanation could be that Paul, one of the leading social influencers with 27 million followers on Instagram alone, is also co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, the company that promotes extravagance in partnership with Netflix. His net worth is estimated at $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
With a 10-1 combat record, mostly against mixed martial artists and other professional boxing newcomers To his credit, Paul, a former child star and YouTube prankster who began his boxing career in 2018, has no shortage of confidence – or showmanship. His arrogant attitude earned him his latest nickname “El Gallo de Dorado” or the Golden Rooster, coined by Puerto Rican fans. Before that, he was called “The Problem Child,” a pretty explicit nickname based on the online persona he created for himself over the years.
Paul, who went full Gallo during an open sparring session this week with Tyson at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, donning a rooster hat and red feathered skirt over his boxers, embodies the fusion of Barnumesque entertainment and sport in social media.
In a TikTok video posted Tuesday, shirtless Paul, slumped on a couch and wearing a prosthetic stomach to make himself look deformed, places stacks of cash on his protruding stomach while offering “Mikey, Mikey” $5 million extra dollars if the former champion can last more than four rounds with him in the ring. If he doesn’t, Paul says in the video, the aging boxer will have to get a tattoo that says “I love Jake Paul.”
“This is why modern boxing is a joke,” one user commented on Reddit in reaction to the video. “People are more excited about freak fights than real boxing matches.”
As USA Today reports, “Tyson and his camp have not publicly responded to the offer.”
How much is the purse for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight?
The undisclosed purse is estimated by some to be $80 million.
How much do tickets cost for the Tyson vs. Paul fight?
Last-minute tickets can still be found for the Tyson vs. Paul fight, which takes place Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Prices range from $69 for upper mezzanine seats on StubHub to $32,392 for floor seats on Vividseats.
Who do the players think will win the fight?
Tyson enters the ring Friday, nearly 20 years after his last professional fight, as a +160 underdog, according to the latest betting odds from DraftKings. This means that a $100 bet on Iron Mike after he retires will return a profit of $160 if he wins. At -200, Paul is the favorite to win. Punters will need to place a $200 bet to make a $100 profit, if the social influencer wins over Tyson.
“There has been a lot of anticipation for this fight and we have been pleased with the betting volume,” Johnny Avello, director of sports operations at DraftKings, told CBS MoneyWatch. “We expect more action to take place in the hours leading up to the fight.”
While it remains to be seen how much will be wagered in total, the event attracts whale-sized bets of $500,000, according to ESPN.
Gamblers are backing Tyson, according to DraftKings, with 69% of all bets currently on the former undisputed world champion to win. “Although Tyson is 58 years old now, people see one of the greatest boxers of all time at a great price and jump at the opportunity,” Avello said.
“Even if it doesn’t equate to an event like the Super Bowl, it could certainly be our most sought-after boxing match of the year,” he added.
Not everyone will be able to bet on this epic fight. Although the fight is sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, rule changes including shorter rounds and larger gloves disqualify the fight from betting in at least seven U.S. states.
How to watch the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight
For most fans, the best seats will be at home, with Tyson vs. Paul streaming worldwide on Netflix. A basic Netflix subscription costs $6. The platform’s broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
As reported by CBS SportsThe fight marks Netflix’s biggest bet yet on live sports. Netflix, which has 282 million subscribers in more than 190 countries, recently tested the waters by broadcasting exhibition events in golf and tennis.
