Mike Tyson Will Have To Forgo Cannabis If He Is To Beat Jake Paul in the Lone Star State

This article has been updated from the bulldog.If former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and YouTube star Jake Paul meet in a professional boxing match at AT&T Stadium at Arlington, Texas, on July 20 — that’s the plan, for now — the former undisputed heavyweight champion will need to refrain from one of his favorite pleasures — cannabis.Mr. Tyson, 57, and Mr. Paul, 27, announced Thursday in a press release and on social media they will fight each other in “a heavyweight boxing mega-event” to be streamed globally on Netflix. Regardless of whether it is an exhibition or a sanctioned professional bout, the fighters will need a Contestant License issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.While recreational cannabis is legal in California, Nevada, and elsewhere, it’s not in Texas, which is reflected in its rules regarding combative sports. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s website, it requires combative sports contestants to submit to periodic drug testing, “either before or after the bout” as directed by staff. The contestants are tested for a long list of substances including alcohol and Cannabinoids (marijuana). The communications manager of the TDLR, Tela Goodwin Mange, confirmed that the drug testing policy applies whether it’s an exhibition or a sanctioned bout. “If you’re fighting in Texas you have to go by our rules whether it’s a professional fight or an exhibition,” Ms. Mange told the Sun. A positive test, the department explains, will result in “an automatic 90-day medical suspension” and possible monetary penalties or revocation of license. That could prove problematic for Mr. Tyson.Among Mr. Tyson’s many business ventures is ownership in a cannabis company, Tyson Holistic Holdings, launched in 2016. In promoting his company he has spoken of the positive benefits of cannabis, which he uses “to calm my nerves” and reduce pain.In 2018 the former world champion created Tyson Ranch, a 40-acre cannabis ranch in California. He later founded Tyson 2.0, which offers cannabis flowers, edibles, beverages, and concentrates.Former middleweight boxing champion and current Bare Knuckles champion Austin Trout, though, has fought several times in Texas. He confirmed the state drug tests for marijuana. “It’s unfortunate,” Mr. Trout told the Sun. “There’s no advantage performance-wise in using cannabis. If anything you give yourself a disadvantage.”Mr. Tyson’s age and lack of activity have many fans nervous about a matchup with Mr. Paul, who is young, strong, and in shape. Mr. Tyson’s last professional fight came in 2005. His most recent appearance in the ring was in November 2020 when he faced Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition held at the Staples Center and was unofficially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission. The eight-round bout ended in a draw and served as the featured bout of a boxing card that included Mr. Paul knocking out former New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson. Mr. Paul, who began boxing as an amateur, has pursued the sport with zeal. Mr. Tyson and Mr. Paul issued statements on Thursday making it sound like the bout is a real fight. “I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet, and the most dangerous boxer of all time,” Mr. Paul said in the release. “This will be the fight of a lifetime.”Mr. Tyson offered some tough talk saying, “I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him.”Boxing traditionalists may not take him seriously, but Mr. Paul has leveraged 20 million YouTube followers into a lucrative boxing career against fading MMA stars like Tyron Woodley (twice), Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, and Ben Askren. His only loss in 10 bouts came against the first professional boxer he faced, Tommy Fury, the brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Mr. Paul has won three straight fights since then, including a first-round stoppage of Ryan Bourland on March 2 in Puerto Rico.Meanwhile, Mr. Tyson is a long way from when at age 20 he became the youngest boxer to win a portion of the world heavyweight championship and ultimately become the undisputed champion. He remains among the most popular and beloved heavyweight champions of all time despite losing his most meaningful bouts against Evander Holyfield (twice) and Lennox Lewis. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.After much-publicized battles with drug addiction and self-described journeys into internal darkness, Mr. Tyson made positive changes in his life and has worked toward rehabilitating his image. He starred in a one-man show on Broadway, and now earns more for appearing in movies than one-time wrestling icon Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.According to the release for the fight, Mr. Tyson’s digital footprints reach “over 400 million people.” His exhibition with Mr. Jones earned $80 million and was the eighth-highest-viewed boxing match in Pay-Per-View history, with 1.6 million purchases. This high-wattage matchup could bolster Mr. Tyson’s brand, and, possibly, his cannabis business.

Mike Tyson Will Have To Forgo Cannabis If He Is To Beat Jake Paul in the Lone Star State

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