Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s controversial clash has proven a major hit at the box office, with ticket sales breaking American records.
Over two decades ago, Tyson smashed the American boxing gate record outside of Las Vegas with a $17.5million income for his meeting with Lennox Lewis in 2002. Vegas records can get much higher due to the inflated prices in ‘Sin City’.
Paul and Tyson smashed through the previous Texas gate record held by Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders in 2021 which stood at $9million, almost doubling it. And further earnings are expected through sponsorships and a monstrous Netflix broadcast deal.
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson breaks multiple records at the box office
A statement from Most Valuable Promotions just before the action kicked off on Netflix tonight declared that the fight had already broken the United States boxing gate record outside of Las Vegas. This was still with walk-ups expected, and the number may end up even higher than $17.8million.
The evening’s co-main event sees an historic rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, whose first bout in 2022 sold out Madison Square Garden. And there is also international interest with stars like Whindersson Nunes and Neeraj Goyat involved on the night.
“Breaking records like this is exactly what MVP was built to do: Bring the biggest, most electrifying events to fans worldwide,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano and MVP are redefining what’s possible in combat sports, and we’re thrilled to partner with Netflix to make history at AT&T Stadium.
“This is just the beginning for MVP as we continue to raise the bar in delivering unforgettable moments in the ring. Congratulations to Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano and the rest of this amazing card.
“Every athlete deserves recognition for this historic night. We are also proud to have over 2,000 servicemen and women at Paul vs. Tyson tonight and are honored to give back to our service members by ensuring their presence at this historic event.”
Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul in final face-off to push ticket sales to new level
The build-up throughout fight week for this fight was initially relatively subdued, but it sparked into life with a massive moment at yesterday’s weigh-in. After Paul stood on Tyson’s toe, the heavyweight icon smacked him in the face, and the pair were quickly dragged apart.
The outburst went viral across social media, with over 160million viewers on just Paul’s Instagram page alone. And it likely helped to shift thousands more tickets, as the estimated attendance grew from around 65,000 to over 70,000.
“This is a pinch me moment,” Paul said on X afterwards. “I got slapped by Mike Tyson.” He also compared himself to Chris Rock, who was slapped by Will Smith at last year’s Oscars ceremony in one of the most viral moments of the year.
“I was in my socks and he had on shoes,” Tyson told The New York Post just moments after the controversial weigh-in. “He stepped on my toe because he is a f***ing a**hole. I wanted to think it happened by accident.
“But now I think it may have happened on purpose. I was in a lot of pain. I had to reciprocate.” And in a later statement, a Tyson spokesperson added: “Jake has been poking the bear the whole time. Mike slapped the s*** out of him.”