The upcoming third fight between boxing titans Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano was already poised to be a historic event. Adding a layer of high-profile intrigue, social media personality turned boxer Jake Paul and heavyweight legend Mike Tyson have reportedly placed a significant wager on the outcome: a cool $1 million.
This isn`t the first time Paul and Tyson have weighed in on the Taylor-Serrano rivalry. Ahead of their own exhibition bout last November, Paul, who promotes Serrano through his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), naturally backed his fighter. Tyson, conversely, threw his support behind Taylor, citing the Irish champion`s reverence for his own career. While Paul defeated Tyson in their exhibition, Taylor once again secured a decision victory over Serrano in a contest that broke viewership records for women`s boxing.
Now, with the trilogy fight set for Friday, the pair are doubling down on their previous picks, albeit with much higher stakes. According to reports, Paul initiated a call with Tyson, leading to the direct challenge. Tyson quickly asserted his prediction: “I got Katie,” he reportedly stated.
Paul seized the opportunity, proposing the high-stakes gamble. “All right, we`ll make a bet,” Paul said. “If Katie wins then you get a million dollars, if Amanda wins, I get a million. All right, let`s do it.” Tyson agreed, even adding a friendly stipulation that Paul would owe him dinner should Taylor emerge victorious again, just to sweeten the potential payout.
The wager adds a bizarre, yet undeniably captivating, sideshow to a main event that hardly needs the extra hype. Taylor and Serrano have delivered two back-and-forth battles that many consider classics, both culminating in tight decision wins for Taylor. The intensity isn`t just confined to the ring; the business side of the first fight even sparked a lawsuit from Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn against Paul, following Paul`s accusations of a `bribed` judge. Paul countersued, but the legal skirmish eventually concluded with a settlement agreement earlier this year.
Remarkably, despite the past legal fireworks, Paul`s MVP and Hearn`s Matchroom are collaborating once more to co-promote this highly anticipated third bout. It appears a lucrative trilogy fight scheduled for distribution on a major streaming platform like Netflix is sufficient motivation to bridge even recent legal divides – a pragmatic, if not slightly ironic, twist in the boxing business.
The stage is set for the rubber match. The trilogy fight between Taylor and Serrano is scheduled for this Friday, broadcasting live on Netflix. The main card is expected to commence at 8 p.m. ET from the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. Whether the outcome shifts the balance of power in the ring, or simply determines whose bank account gains a million dollars (and who owes dinner), remains to be seen.
