Jake Paul attempts to change terms of Tyson fight

Amid a mountain of criticism online about his exhibition fight with Mike Tyson, YouTube performer turned pugilist Jake Paul has requested a change with the boxing commission in charge of the fight.

Paul will take on 57-year-old former unified heavyweight champion Tyson in a boxing match at the AT&T Arena in Texas on July 21 (AEST).

Since the announcement last month, news about the rules of engagement has trickled out, with the fight taking place under the exhibition rules due to Tyson’s age.

There has been much speculation that the fight will take place under traditional exhibition rules with both men wearing protective headgear and 18-ounce gloves.

Jake Paul apparently wants the fight to be a professional bout.

However, Tyson disputed those claims while admitting the bout will be an exhibition. He said the status of the fight wouldn’t determine how competitive it would be.

“This is called an exhibition, but if you look up exhibition, you won’t see any of the laws we’re fighting under,” Tyson told Fox News. “This is a fight. I don’t think he’s faster than me. I’ve seen a YouTube video of him at 16 doing weird dancing.

“That’s not the guy I’m fighting. This is a guy who’s going to try and hurt me, which I’m accustomed to, and he’s going to be greatly mistaken.”

Paul reiterated Tyson’s commitment to brutality and said he had asked the relevant authorities to give the bout professional rather than exhibition status.

“It’s so annoying that people on the internet will believe anything they see or hear. There’s been so much misinformation,” he said.

“Mike and I want this to be a pro fight, full face shots. We’re submitting that request to the commission. It’s an all-out war.”

Paul, 27, has 10 competitive fights to his name, mostly against former UFC stars, while Tyson was once the youngest heavyweight champion in history.