At a rowdy press conference for the upcoming boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, Paul agreed to bet his entire prize purse, valued at $40 million, that he would defeat the boxing legend.
After being confronted by Paul for picking Tyson to win the matchup, light-welterweight champion Katie Taylor suggested the large bet. Taylor and all other fighters on the undercard were asked to predict a winner, and Paul approached every fighter who picked against him. Neeraj Goyat, staked his $1 million house. Melinda Watpool bet a ring, while Dana Coolwell only offered $20.
“Yeah, let’s bet the purse. Deal,” Paul said before insisting he would have contracts drawn up about the agreement.
? "Do you want to bet your purse?" ??
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 14, 2024
Jake Paul wasn't happy with Katie Taylor picking Mike Tyson for victory ?#BBCBoxing #PaulTyson #TaylorSerrano pic.twitter.com/0psRn2vvwC
The fight will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. While 80,000 fans will attend, millions are expected to tune in through exclusive distributor Netflix.
Pre-fight news conference throws up plenty of drama
Paul’s round of impromptu betting was just one of several highlights of the Tyson-Paul news conferences. Paul, who was booed by many of the 1,000-strong crowd, wore a diamond ear covering, which he claimed was to protect himself from being bitten by Tyson.
Tyson famously bit off a portion of Evander Holyfield’s ear in Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson II, getting disqualified from the fight.
Paul also dismissed questions from journalists that implied he was fighting Tyson to add credibility to his boxing career. Paul has mostly fought former UFC fighters to this point, with his only loss coming from boxer Tommy Fury.
“I'm here to make $40 million and knock out a legend,” Paul said. “He's the one who wanted it to be a pro fight and he's going to get his ass knocked out for real.”
Tyson didn’t do much talking at the event and shut down attempts to goad him from Paul and reporters alike.
“I've said everything I had to say. I'm just looking forward to fighting,” Tyson said.
Betting continues on the event after Massachusetts Gaming Commission consultation
The Tyson-Paul fight is expected to bring in significant betting handles for U.S. sportsbooks. DraftKings’ director of sports, Johnny Avello, recently explained to Covers that the company has already seen plenty of action.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson odds populate the landscape, but it hasn’t been plain sailing for sports betting operators ahead of the fight. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission held a meeting to consider prohibiting wagering on the market. After debating whether blocking bets on the market would encourage people to engage in illegal betting operations, none of the five commissioners motioned to vote to prohibit betting.
However, Colorado does not allow betting on Tyson-Paul, and Pennsylvania has also blocked these wagers due to the significant age gap between the fighters.
