Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s controversial fight on 20 July in Texas proves to have no shortage of interest. Despite many pundits, fighters, promoters and healthcare specialists explaining why the fight should not continue, Tyson and Paul’s fight is on track to take place at AT&T Stadium, home of NFL team the Dallas Cowboys.
With pre-sale tickets set to go on sale Thursday, 16 May, it has been reported that over 120,000 fans have already signed up for pre-sale access, according to Seatgeek.com. Most Valuable Promotions have also presented other ticket options, including various VIP packages such as the $2million (£1.6m) MVP Owners Experience.
The experience will give fans access to amenities during fight week and on fight night. Fans will also have two ringside seats, four first-row floor seats, and four second-row floor seats along with an exclusive arrival experience and security escort throughout the night.
What’s more, fans will be able to get a photo with both Paul and Tyson, gloves signed by both men and a private green room with an open bar and all-inclusive food menu. There will also be an opportunity for an in-ring photo opportunity after the fight.
Despite how the fight has been received, Nakisa Bidarian believes tickets will sell out quickly because of the interest. “Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 represents a once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomenon, spanning six generations of fans, that warrants ticketing options for every fan,” Bidarian, the co-founder of MVP, said, per seatgeek.
“With over 120,000 presale signups, we anticipate that all tickets and VIP packages will sell out very quickly, and encourage fans to continue signing up for presale access at mostvaluablepromotions.com.”
Even though fans are interested to see how Tyson, who will be 58 by the time of the fight, will fare against Paul, who is 30 years younger than the boxing legend, many have spoken out against the fight. Oscar De La Hoya is one of those who have shared their thoughts about the fight, claiming he is afraid for Tyson’s safety.
“I’m going to pray for Mike Tyson, ’cause I love Mike Tyson. I think Jake Paul, look, he’s a real fighter. He really is. It’s a dangerous fight. Mike Tyson, be careful, please,” De La Hoya told TMZ. Fans also have spotted trouble with Tyson’s training videos, with some claiming that there’s a reason why the former champion’s training clips are only around six to 10 seconds long.
In an attempt to further prepare for the fight, Tyson has also drastically changed his diet, revealing on the Damon Elliott Show that he is now eating raw meat. Still, when the rules of the fight, which has now been changed to a professional fight, were announced, many feared that Tyson could be killed because of the lack of headgear.
Paul, himself, has leaned into that narrative, likening their bout to a war and that one of them will “die.” “It’s war; all is fair in love and war. I love the guy, but as soon as it turned into a pro fight, one of us has to die,” he said at the Miami Grand Prix.
“He’s taking this very, very seriously and that’s what’s going to make the fight amazing for all the fans… We both have one-punch knockout. This is what he was destined to do and what he was born for. And he was the one who wanted it to be a pro fight.
“We were figuring out the rules and Mike said, ‘I want it to be a pro fight. I want to end this kid and stop everything he’s doing.’ So I agreed to make it a pro fight and it’s as real as it gets.”
With all that has been made about the fight, Tyson pleaded to Paul not to back out after hearing Elliott give out a warning. “Do it Jake, please, don’t listen to this man. Jake, don’t listen to him, please,” Tyson said.