Jake Paul announces huge payout for Mike Tyson fight

On Saturday in New York, Jake Paul told the world that his main goals for November 15, when he is scheduled to face boxing icon Mike Tyson, are to “knock out a legend” and “score a sack.”

The proverbial bag is quite significant, as Paul said he will make $40 million for his efforts.

Here is a clip of Paul's claim posted by the official X account of his promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions:

Tyson appeared a little more reserved throughout the press conference, while Paul fully embraced the villain role that has made him one of the most polarizing athletes in the world over the past three years.

Paul heaped insults on Tyson and made several remarks directed at his critics.

“At the end of the day, people will always have something to say,” Paul said. “It's because of who I am. I've proved everybody wrong. As a reminder, the most hated and criticized boxer in boxing before they loved him was Muhammad Ali. So I'm the anti-hero and people will soon love me once they realize what I've done for this sport and who I really am. But ultimately, that doesn't bother me because when you're at the top, people try to bring you down. And that's the game.”

Tyson smiled at most of the comments, and when confronted with questions, his answers were short but not necessarily pleasant: Tyson was asked if he would be back to his peak form of the 1990s.

“Hey, listen, once I get that guy, it's over,” Tyson said. “Jake Paul will be running around the ring, but once I get that guy, it's completely over.”

Assuming the 59-year-old Tyson still has something left in the tank, does he pose the biggest challenge of Paul's career? If Tyson is still a dangerous puncher, he could pose some threat – especially early in the fight.

However, it is almost inconceivable that Tyson will have the stamina to remain dangerous for more than one round. At this point, Paul's youth and underrated boxing skills could make life difficult for the boxing legend. The other big question before the fight is Tyson's health.

The fight was originally scheduled to take place in July, but complications from a stomach ulcer forced Tyson to pull out and Paul knocked out Mike Perry instead. Tyson was asked about his health at the press conference.

“I'm very well prepared to knock out Jake Paul,” Tyson said. “I'm very well prepared. I had a little bit of a misfortune. I got sick, but I feel good. I'm just ready. I'm just ready. I'm going to give my speech and talk my shit, but I'm ready to fight.”

Even if there were doubts about his readiness for the November date, Tyson would likely not express his concerns. Still, one has to wonder if Paul's team has a contingency plan and if other fighters are willing to step in and take Tyson's place if the former heavyweight champion is unable to fight.

Former opponents like Tyron Woodley seem to be possible candidates for a third meeting with Paul, and perhaps another boxing legend like Roy Jones Jr. could be a possible opponent for Paul. The ideal replacement would be a fighter who appears to pose a threat but may not yet have reached the level of an active professional.

Paul aspires to fight more active professionals, but that probably won't happen until sometime in 2025. That would be comparable to what we see from most fighters with little experience.

The main difference is that most of Paul's opponents have a certain level of fame, which can easily lead to the impression that it is normal for an inexperienced boxer to face lower level opponents at the beginning of his career.

In November we will find out whether Paul has taken on too much with Tyson.