Mike Tyson has opened up on how much he is being paid to fight Jake Paul as the heavyweight legend prepares to make his long-awaited return to professional boxing.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson will resume his pro career at the age of 58 in a highly anticipated but also controversial bout against a much younger opponent later this week.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, 27, is more than three decades younger than Tyson, who has also experienced health issues in the build-up to the fight.
The pair were originally due to face each other on July 20 but the fight was forced to be postponed after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a flight in May. He has since revealed the injury left him “coughing up blood” and admitted he feared he could die at the time.
But despite that scare, Tyson has no intention of pulling out of the fight and is determined to win when when the pair finally meet on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in an event to be streamed live on Netflix.
It’s estimated that as many as 500 million people could watch the fight, which would make it one of the most-viewed sporting events in history.
Unlike other major boxing events, which are usually pay-per-view (PPV) on Box Office channels, Tyson vs Paul will be available to watch to anybody with a Netflix account – with no additional cost.
The unusual decision to stream the fight through Netflix has prompted speculation over how much the two fighters are being paid up front, given the lack of PPV purchases.
When asked how much he could stand to make from the fight, Tyson played down the figure.
“This fight is not going to change my life financially,” Tyson told SPORTbible.
“If I did it for free, it’s not going to change my life. My wife is constantly telling me, you do not need to do this fight.
“This is what I want to do, this is me. I’m seeking my glory.”
Meanwhile, speaking at a recent Cage Wars MMA event, Tyson insisted his motivation was not financial and said he was already in a comfortable position thanks to his fight career and numerous business ventures including his legal cannabis products.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will finally meet on Friday (Image: Getty)
“I could be waiting on a check every day from cannabis,” said Tyson.
“That’s bulls*** for me. I’m a man; I want to go out there and I want to expose myself to risk. Sometimes I want to see who I really am. I want to see what I’m really made out of.
“I want to perform in front of the world. To me, that’s all I ever knew how to do since I was 14. This is just what I want to do.”
However, Paul has given a different take on the finances involved, claiming at a press conference in August that he is in line to make as much as $40 million (£31m).
The American has now also revealed that “bonuses” in his contract for the fight could boost both his and Tyson’s earnings.
“There are definitely certain guaranteed figures and other certain built-in bonuses and stuff on top of sales – key performance indicators that trigger certain things,” Paul exclusively told SPORTbible.
“This is definitely my biggest payday, of all the fights for sure.
“It is definitely a healthy payday.”
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson will be streamed exclusively on Netflix on Friday, November 15.