Katie Taylor backs Tyson over Paul ahead of double-bill rematch with Amanda Serrano
Boxing Double Press Ed Lineup Historic Taylor And Irving, In Mike Tyson For The Katie Mulholland/inpho At Billed Texas The Conference Picture:
Two years after a historic night at Madison Square Garden, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are set to make history again tonight alongside headline names — Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
The 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Tyson will face social media star-turned boxer Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas over eight two-minute rounds.
The card will be shown live on Netflix at no extra cost to its 282m global subscribers.
Taylor and Serrano’s rematch (3am Saturday Irish time) has been marketed as the co-main event. An audience of 1.5m tuned in for their first meeting at Madison Square Garden in 2022.
Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall surpassed that shortly after when their fight was viewed by over 2m. That record is now under threat.
“We made history together, but I feel like this is on an even bigger scale again,” Taylor said this week in Dallas.
Taylor has a tendency to avoid the spotlight away from the ring but there is little she can do to avoid the glare that surrounds Tyson and Paul. At Wednesday’s press conference, the Bray boxer was asked for her prediction.
“You can never bet against a legend. Mike Tyson,” she replied.
Tyson’s presence at the event remains surreal. He served three years in prison after being convicted of rape in 1992 and last fought in a sanctioned bout 19 years ago, when he was beaten by Clones’ Kevin McBride.
‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ sat in front of Katie Taylor at the press conference, muted and sullen. Every question was met with a single-line answer.
Paul was the polar opposite. He began to challenge every boxer on the card who had gone against him to a $1m bet. Finally, he made his way to the back of the room.
“I forgot Katie Taylor back here. How much do you want to bet?” According to reports, Paul will pocket $40m for the fight. Tyson will get $20m.
Taylor’s earnings are reported to be in excess of $6m. She smiled and considered Paul’s proposal for a moment, before asking if he wanted to bet his purse. They made the deal.