After Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, 7 Boxing Matches That Need to Happen Next
Ding, ding! In less than two weeks on Friday, November 15, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 58, will attempt to dethrone controversial social media sensation turned boxer Jake Paul, 27, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight will do little to impact Pound For Pound lists or the heavyweight title picture. Still, it has the potential to generate casual interest in a sport that was once more popular in America than football, baseball, and basketball.
Due to the attention that Paul and Tyson’s showdown has drawn, Netflix has elected to get into the fight game and broadcast their first live boxing event. While many boxing purists are not too fond of a nearly 60-year-old boxing legend getting into the ring with a Gen Z YouTube star, Netflix’s involvement could put many of the fighters occupying the undercard in front of the streamer’s nearly 283 million subscribers.
Most notably, Amanda Serrano will challenge Katie Taylor for the undisputed super lightweight title in a live event streamed on the same day on Netflix. This fight is being dubbed the co-main event. On the undercard but not to be forgotten, Tyson’s fellow Brooklynite and featherweight contender, Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington, will challenge Dana Coolwell of Australia, and Mario Barrios will put his welterweight title on the line against Abel Ramos.
In a perfect world, a fight like Taylor-Serano II or an upcoming matchup like David Benavidez vs. David Morrell would headline a night of fights on Netflix, but that’s just not where the boxing business is currently.
With HBO and Showtime out of the boxing business, ESPN, Prime Video, and DAZN are holding the torch as the three primary broadcasters in a sport that has lost a chunk of its commercial appeal over the last few decades. As pay-per-view stars like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez near the end of their career, boxing stakeholders could follow the Tyson-Paul blueprint of using a boxing crossover event as the primary marketing tool to bring more eyes to more consequential fights on a global platform like Netflix.
Here are seven fights that could serve that specific purpose as we inch closer to the Tyson-Paul event, which will also be previewed in a three-part documentary series. Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson premieres with two episodes on November 7, with Episode 3 coming out November 12.
Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, Episodes 1-2 Premiere, Thursday, November 7, Episode 3 Premiere, Tuesday, November 12, Netflix
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, Live Event, Friday, November 15, 8/7c, Netflix
KSI v. Jake Paul
Confidence Level: 8
Undercard: Logan Paul v. Deji Olatunji (Catchweight), Ashton “H2O” Sylve v. Luis Lebron (Lightweight), Ernesto “Tito” Mercado v. Rohan Polanco (Super Lightweight)
How likely is it that the world sees this fight? Very! When Paul made his boxing debut during Super Bowl weekend in 2020, KSI was sitting ringside and hopped in the ring as soon as Paul scored his first knockout. Since then, the two have seemingly been on a collision course. Both fell short when fighting Tommy Fury, but have managed to beat every other mixed martial artists, journeyman boxer and influencer they’ve been in the ring with. Now, it’s time for them to stand toe-to-toe in the center of the ring and let their hands go. For once and for all, let’s determine who the best boxer in this wave of influencer fighters is.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez v. Jake Paul
Confidence Level: 2
Undercard: Frank Sanchez v. Moses Itauma (Heavyweight), Ashton “H2O” Sylve v. Amado Vargas (Catchweight), Erik Bazinyan v. Elijah Garcia (Super Middleweight)
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the unified super middleweight champion. He will be inducted into the hall of fame as soon as he calls it quits. He also has shot down the idea of fighting Paul several times. However, Alvarez is getting to the point of his career when he’s beginning to run out of potential opponents. He doesn’t appear to be interested in fighting Terence Crawford or Benavidez and his ideal opponent, Dmitry Bivol, doesn’t look to excited about fighting Alvarez again. With all of that in mind, a fight with Paul could make sense in two to three years as he wraps up a storied career. If it does happen, it would be the most commercially attractive combat sports event since Conor McGregor challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017.
Jake Paul v. Conor McGregor
Confidence Level: 5
Undercard: Katie Taylor v. Chantelle Cameron II (Super Lightweight), Amanda Serrano v. Alycia Baumgardner (Lightweight), Gary Antuanne Russell v. Brandun Lee (Super Lightweight)
McGregor loves to make money and he loves being in the spotlight. A potential boxing match with Paul would fulfill both of those desires. There’s just one problem. McGregor has not stepped inside a boxing ring or an octagon for a professional fight since July 10, 2021. Dana White and the UFC have reportedly tried to schedule an MMA match with McGregor and Michael Chandler for the better part of two years, but the event feels snake-bitten at this point, with it being pushed back several times. However, if McGregor were to get back into the fighting spirit again at 36, it would be a showdown with Paul that he may or may not have a chance at winning. To throw a little cherry on top, you could also give him the incentive of fighting on the same card as his friend and fellow Ireland native, Taylor. The press conferences would be must-see TV, and the main event would likely produce some action-packed sequences with both Paul and McGregor going for the gusto.
Logan Paul v. Jake Paul
Confidence Level: 6
Co-Main Event: Olajide Olayinka Williams “KSI” Olatunji v. Tommy Fury
Let’s go full-blown pro wrestling, shall we? A fight featuring brothers Jake and Logan Paul has always been on the table. The two have reportedly tossed around the idea before but are waiting for the perfect moment. Aside from a fight with KSI, McGregor, or maybe Saul Alvarez, there is no more lucrative option for Jake moving forward. While Jake would be a heavy favorite given his brother’s lack of experience, the brotherly angle of this fight will draw in the streaming community while generating some attention within broader pop culture.
To add to the event, the Paul brothers could fight in somewhat of a four-participant tournament of influencers and boxers. In the co-main event, KSI could challenge Tyson Fury‘s younger brother, Tommy, to a rematch, and the winner could fight the winner of Jake vs. Logan.
Mike Tyson v. Jake Paul II
Confidence Level: TBD
Undercard: Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington v. Raymond Ford (Super Featherweight), Richardson Hitchson v. Jack Catterall (Super Lightweight), Amanda Serrano v. Katie Taylor III (Super Lightweight)
Do you know what’s a bigger attraction than the first fight? The rematch. In the seemingly unlikely scenario that a nearly 60-year-old Tyson can knockout Paul, no combat sports event would sell more than a rematch. To top it all off, you could throw a few of Tyson’s fellow Brooklynites, Bruce Carrington, and Richardson Hitchins, on the undercard with a potential Serrano-Taylor trilogy. Not to mention, a rematch would likely take place next summer during one of the most barren portions of the sporting calendar, with only competition from mid-season Major League Baseball games and a few high-profile WNBA games that will end before the first bell. Given Tyson’s age, this feels like an unlikely scenario, but there’s always a chance.
Nate Diaz v. Conor McGregor III
Confidence Level: 3
Undercard: Mike Perry v. Darren Till (Catchweight), Garry Cully v. Jose Felix II (Lightweight), Josh Padley v. Lucas Bahdi (Lightweight)
They’ve done it twice in the octagon, so why not settle the score in the ring? Before McGregor stepped outside of the cage to fight Mayweather, he fought Nate Diaz twice, losing to him in his welterweight debut before avenging the loss five months later. With the series tied at 1-1, fans have always wanted to see the two polarizing mixed martial artists settle their feud in the cage. However, both fighters have migrated out of the ring in recent years. Diaz has boxed the likes of Jorge Masvidal and Paul, while McGregor has launched a whiskey company and branched off into acting. Still, there’s an opportunity for the two to make a boatload of money, put their bad blood to the test, and then sail off into the sunset.
Nate Diaz v. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Confidence Level: 2
Undercard: Curmel Moton v. Keith Hunter (Lightweight), Nick Diaz v. Mike Perry (Light Heavyweight)
With an unblemished record and an astronomical net worth, Mayweather has no logical reason to continue fighting. Yet, he does. He’s had exhibitions with everyone from social media personality Deji Olatunji to the grandson of American mafioso John Gotti. So, a fight with Diaz doesn’t seem too far-fetched. The two will do a great job of selling the fight, and Mayweather will make it entertaining enough to be attractive to the average viewer. There’s just one minor problem — weight. Mayweather did get in the ring with the much bigger Logan Paul a few years ago, but Diaz has much more combat sports experience than Paul and would, therefore, be a more significant threat. While Diaz doesn’t have one-tenth of the boxing experience of Mayweather, there are weight classes for a reason. If they could reach an agreement regarding weight, Mayweather could throw his young prospect, Curmel Moton, on the undercard, and Diaz could bring his brother, Nick, to the card if his UFC return proves unsuccessful.
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