Mike Tyson has made a bold prediction that “the devil himself” would join him in the boxing ring against Jake Paul on Friday night. At the weigh-in on Thursday, he gave Paul a glimpse of this persona. Tyson, weighing in at 233 pounds, approached Paul for a final stare-down at AT&T Stadium. Paul, at a career-high 220 pounds, moved forward from a crawling stance to confront the former heavyweight champion, leading to Tyson slapping him hard in the face.
The betting community is largely favoring Tyson for the fight against Paul, with indications that it could become one of the most heavily bet boxing matches in recent times. Throughout the week, odds have increasingly favored Tyson, with sportsbooks reporting that over 90% of bets are backing the underdog. Tyson, aged 58, has seen his odds improve from +225 to +175 at ESPN BET, while the 27-year-old Paul is listed as a -225 favorite. The eight-round, sanctioned match is scheduled for Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will be available on Netflix.
Despite Tyson attracting the majority of wagers, larger bets are being placed on Paul, including a $1 million bet by a Michigan bettor with Caesars Sportsbook at -220 odds, which would yield a net $454,000 if Paul wins. Johnny Avello, DraftKings sportsbook director, mentioned that two $500,000 bets have been placed on Paul. “As we got closer to the fight, we’ve started to see a lot of small bets on Tyson,” Avello said. “We took a couple of big bets on Paul, but it’s not going to overcome all the bets on Tyson.”
Tyson’s claim of bringing the ‘devil himself’ into the ring highlights his determination. Paul, who transitioned from being a YouTuber to a boxer just over four years ago, has been a controversial figure in the sport. He has achieved box office success and boasts a record of 10-1 with 7 KOs, but has faced criticism for selecting opponents ranging from fellow YouTubers to MMA fighters. Facing the 58-year-old Tyson, who hasn’t fought professionally in nearly two decades, is unlikely to appease his critics.
“I don’t care about their opinions, because I’ve seen what people cheer for,” Paul told reporters. “I tried to show people that I’m a good person and look at all this good I’m doing in the world. And no one was buying it. And then one day I was like, forget it. I can go heel and haven’t looked back since.” Paul has embraced the negative reception and is not surprised by those wanting to see him defeated by Tyson. At the end of Wednesday’s news conference, nine of the 12 undercard fighters predicted Tyson would beat Paul, and “El Gallo” challenged skeptics to make a friendly bet. It’s clear that Paul is embracing his role as the antagonist.