Is Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson a real fight?

Ever since Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson was announced the first time early this year, there have been plenty of questions surrounding this fight on Friday at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium that also serves as streaming giant Netflix’s first foray into combat sports.

Chief among them: Is Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson a real fight?

And chief among the reasons why people would wonder about this is their age difference. Tyson is 58 years old and a legend of the fight game, while Paul is 27 and a YouTuber-turned-professional-boxer of the post-pandemic era.

While that might complicate things for the average viewer, the easiest answer to the question is: Yes, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a real fight. 

Paul vs. Tyson rules breakdown

Paul vs. Tyson is not an exhibition fight. What makes it a real fight is the fact that it’s been sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation as a fully professional bout. However, the rules stray from the norm in this regard.

Paul vs. Tyson is scheduled for eight, 2-minute rounds, and the two combatants will use 14-ounce gloves. Under normal circumstances, a men’s professional heavyweight boxing match would take place with rounds lasting 3 minutes and gloves weighing 10 ounces.

The use of shorter rounds and lighter gloves were requested by Tyson, who figures to benefit from shorter rounds and more glove cushion given his age and general health. Paul has said he was happy to oblige these requests to make the fight happen.

The TDLR has said there was no issue sanctioning this as a professional (or “real”) fight under these rules given both combatants agreed.

Paul vs. Tyson date, time, location, how to watch

Date: Friday, November 15
Time: Preliminary card begins at 5:30 p.m. ET; main card begins at 8 p.m. ET; Paul and Tyson are expected to walk out to the ring at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET.
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
How to watch: Prelims will stream on the Netflix Sports YouTube channel; main card will stream on Netflix, and anyone with a Netflix plan can watch.