Bookmakers are in consensus that Jake Paul is the favourite – widely available at around 4/9 for the OUTRIGHT WIN, with Mike Tyson therefore available as a 2/1 underdog. This conclusion is broadly drawn on one single metric. Youth. Aged 27, and the younger man by 31 years, Jake Paul is in his athletic prime. And, vitally, for all his detractors of which there are legion; he trains, he spars, and he is pursuant of improvement in himself as a professional fighter. Were that pursuit designed to genuinely progress in public perception and the divisional rankings Paul would box more regularly because that is the primary device for developing, but such is the magnitude of his events that he boxes with the frequency of an established champion or Pay Per View star. Once or twice a year. And as such, he remains woefully unqualified to fight Mike Tyson. But of course, this isn’t that Mike Tyson. In Jake Paul’s bout with Tommy Fury, half-brother of former World Champion Tyson Fury, the only legitimate, active boxer he has faced, Paul lost. His performance best defined as wary, his fundamentals – the jab, footwork, defence – modest at best. Mechanical and dysfunctional at worst. That wasn’t a heavyweight fight either. And it is this type of circular narrative that makes this fight so hard to predict. Consideration begins with the inescapable reality of Tyson’s age and inactivity – he was born before England won the football World Cup and hasn’t boxed since 2005 when he quit on his stool to a lumbering Irishman called Kevin McBride - but always returns to Paul’s meagre experience and limited skill set. Boxing fans find it hard to pick against Tyson. Even this version, such is the indelible mark he left on all who witnessed his prime. This observer among them. For those tempted to indulge the nostalgia, or to focus on Paul’s conspicuous weaknesses, odds of 18/1 are available on Tyson winning in the opening round.. Two-minute rounds narrow the probability of this. They increase the chances of Tyson going further on the remnants of his youth in terms of rounds but reduce the chance of him finding knockout blows or a sustained phase of pressure. Despite misgivings and residual respect for everything Tyson has been, Jake Paul remains the logical if somewhat heartbreaking selection.

For those more cavalier with their investments and willing to believe the two-minute rounds enable Tyson to last longer aerobically, the precision of backing Jake Paul to win in the 5-6 rounds is available at 7/1. Those odds are narrow because of the possibility of Tyson simply running out of energy as opposed to much evidence of Paul’s power, although his uppercut has merit. A departure just after halfway to an unspecified injury may permit Tyson to lose and retain the dignity he checked in when he signed the contract. There is some contention and overlap between the two bets, but round 5 feels like the pivotal point in the contest.

For those determined to stretch the potential return, with due acknowledgment of the possibility of chaos and anarchy reigning over proceedings, consider pairing the under 1.5 knockdowns with the fight ending in the 5th which offers a 14/1 return. It is hard to countenance either man troubling themselves with climbing off the canvas, if for entirely different reasons. Should Paul find himself there it is easy to assume Tyson has ended the fight decisively and demonstrated to the sporting interloper the longevity of power and if Tyson is on the floor, chances are it is due to injury or exhaustion. His money is safe, he’d be assumed to opt to stay there as he did a decade ago versus Danny Williams.