Most Valuable Promotions: Here's what went down at the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul Fanatics Fest NYC face-off
It’s tough to believe living icon Mike Tyson is going to lace up for an intense face-off against YouTube superstar Jake Paul in the coming weeks for their highly-anticipated bout. But while the disbelief continues to kick in, how about seeing the duo dishing it out at this past weekend’s Fanatics Fest NYC press conference?
MVP’s Jake Paul and Mike Tyson dish it out at the Fanatics Fest NYC showdown
From Paul talking about wanting to make history against Iron Mike to the possibility of Tyson getting knocked out, it’s all in the epic showdown footage and quotes below. Giddy up.
At the inaugural Fanatics Fest NYC, an immersive sports festival where sports, culture, and collecting collide, at the Javits Center in New York, the Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo” Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) and the Baddest Man on the Planet Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) came face to face for the first time since the Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) historic bout was rescheduled. Paul vs. Tyson is set for an eight-round professional bout with two-minute rounds and will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Friday, November 15, 2024 from the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Tickets for Paul vs. Tyson are on sale now at Seatgeek.com.
In today’s press conference hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist and Super Bowl Champion Ryan Clark, Paul and Tyson had plenty to say about the upcoming fight. See quotes below and view the full press conference on MVP’s YouTube and Netflix’s YouTube.
Jake Paul Quotes
On why he’s fighting Mike Tyson: Making history. This is what it's all about for me, man. I'm a kid from Ohio. [...] They'll never give me credit. That's the way it is. If I was walking on water, they would say it's because I couldn't swim. And this is to make history. The people think I'm going to get knocked out by this strong, powerful guy. All the people in my comments say, ‘look at his power. He's going to get KO’d.’ [...] This has taken a chance to fight somebody as vicious as Mike can be. You got to risk it for the biscuit. That's the name of the game. I'm here to make history. I'm here for a challenge. I'm here to fight one of the most dangerous men in all of boxing. No one that ever did anything great got there with ease or by an easy, non bumpy road. I'm here to challenge myself. He's vicious. He's a killer. I know all of these things. He has one punch knockout power. He's the greatest heavyweight of all time. But I will prove [...] all the haters wrong.
On the prospect of knocking out Tyson: People are yelling at me in the event, but what happens when I put this man to sleep? [...] He's saying that it's going to be my funeral. He's saying it's going to be my wake. He's going to kill Jake Paul. All of these things, and that's why I love Mike. I respect him, but we're not friends anymore until November 15th. I'm knocking this motherfucker out and we're going to see who's dead.
On how the fight will end: [Mike] is the one that wanted it to be a pro fight, so he's going to get his ass knocked out [and have it count for his real professional record]. You're going to see on BoxRec, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. Jake Paul KOs Mike Tyson.
On the criticisms against him: At the end of the day, people are always going to have something to say. It's because of who I am. I proved everyone wrong. Reminder: the most hated and most criticized boxer in the sport of boxing before they loved them was Muhammad Ali. So I'm the anti-hero, and people will love me soon enough once they realize what I've done for this sport and who I truly am. But it doesn't bother me at the end of the day, because when you're at the top, people are clawing to rip you down. And that's just the way the game goes.
On what’s next after Paul vs. Tyson: I'm still on the path to become world champion. There's a lot of shit talkers out there, a lot of big names who want to fight me. I still want Canelo Alvarez and I want to go on the path to world championship and that's what I'm here to do. And I will make it happen. And when it happens, people are going to go, ‘God damn that kid did something we didn't.’
On why he took the Mike Perry fight after Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled: In this sport, staying active is key. I'm on the path to [a] world championship. I'll do the money fights, I'll knock out some legends, but at the end of the day, I want the belt. And that's what I'm here to do.
On how Mike Tyson will help him on his path to becoming world champion: [This is a fight with] big moments, big pressure, big stages [against] one of the greatest to ever do it. [Mike has] more experience than me, more fights than me, and I'm going to learn a lot in this fight and through this training camp. So this is helping me in my future fights and everything that I want to accomplish.
Mike Tyson Quotes
On his ulcer flareup and how recovery is going: I'm very prepared [to knock out Jake Paul]. I'm very prepared. I had a small adversity. I got sick, but I feel good. [...] I'm just ready. I'm just ready. I'm going to do my talk and I'm going to talk my shit, but I'm ready to fight.
On if he’s back to training camp: Well I'm beautiful and I've been [back to] training for a while, like two weeks, three weeks. [...] I’m in camp.
On if fans will see 1990s Mike Tyson in the ring: Hey, listen, [as] soon as I catch this guy, it's [over. Jake Paul is] going to be running around [the ring], but as soon as I catch this guy, it's going to be totally over.
On what happens to anyone who steps in the ring against him: I'm going to fuck you up.
On if Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will happen Friday, November 15: It's happening. We're all here.
On why he’s stepping back into the ring again: I don't know. That's a funny question. [I’m doing it] because I can. Who else can do it but me? Just look at it. Who else is he going to fight to make [an event of this magnitude] happen?
On how Jake’s disrespectful words make him feel: I don't know. He amazes me. [Crowd chants “Fuck Jake Paul].
On if he’ll fight again after Paul vs. Tyson: Hey, we have options. We'll see.
About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)
Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. Since inception MVP has consistently produced the biggest combat sports pay-per-view events. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The company signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which is the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.
About Fanatics Events
Fanatics Events is building the largest network of sports and collector fan events around the world, offering fans the opportunity to come together in-person to celebrate all aspects of fandom—collectibles, memorabilia, fashion, music, and entertainment—and participate in unique fan experiences. In partnership with IMG, Fanatics Events is uniquely positioned to innovate the live and special events space by offering integrated, personalized, and immersive fan experiences—uniting fans for a common purpose, creating connections, offering a sense of identity and community across generations, and maximizing the presence and reach for Fanatics partners. Fanatics Events was spawned out of and will be enhanced by Fanatics’ current businesses—which today include Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting and Gaming.
