Boxing legend Mike Tyson recently responded to reports that say his boxing contest against Jake Paul would be designated as an exhibition bout.

Tyson is slated to face Paul in a boxing match. The fight is set to take place on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will be streamed live on Netflix.

Rumors had been circulating for a few weeks after the match’s announcement, claiming that it would be an exhibition match. However, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s Combative Sports program will decide whether or not to classify the fight as an exhibition fight.

The TDLR temporary executive director, Brian E. Francis, will make the decision after consulting with staff members involved in the Combative Sports program. The procedure entails submitting all suggested pairings for an event, which must be done at least 21 days beforehand to the review body.

When a suggested matchup is received, Combative Sports personnel will review the records of both fighters to determine whether their skill levels are similar. If there is too much of a difference between the fighters’ records, it will be considered that they were unfairly paired, and the fight could be changed to an exhibition.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Tyson addressed speculations surrounding his fight with Paul. He clarified that while the fight may be classified as an exhibition, it will be fought under standard boxing rules and said:

”This is called an exhibition, but if you look up exhibition you will not see any of the laws that we are fighting under. This is a fight.”
When asked what motivated him to get back in the ring, Tyson replied:

”Whatever I’m afraid to do, I do it.”

The 57-year-old added:

Mike Tyson on his fight with Jake Paul: This is called an exhibition, but if you look up exhibition you will not see any of the laws that we are fighting under. This is a fight.pic.twitter.com/KggKFUzWDY

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 3, 2024

”Right now, I’m scared to death but as the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become. Because this is reality, and in reality, I’m invincible.”
Check out Mike Tyson’s comments below:

What exactly would an exhibition match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul mean?

If Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is made an exhibition boxing match, they will have to fight in two-minute rounds rather than three, and they will have to wear 16-ounce gloves instead of 10-ounce gloves.

Lastly, if a knockout occurs, there won’t be judges to score the fight. This would be similar to ‘Iron Mike’s’ previous fight against the legendary Roy Jones Jr.

In an interview with USA Today, Texas boxing promoter Cameron Davies said that he has spoken with Texas Combative staff and is 99% positive it will be an exhibition fight.