Jake Paul and Mike Tyson literally “broke Netflix” with their highly anticipated eight-round bout on Friday night, Nov. 15, drawing a massive 60 million households. The big question now is: what’s next for Jake Paul? Tyson, a former heavyweight champion and one of boxing’s all-time greats, is a legendary figure in the sport. However, at 58 years old, he’s also well into his senior years, and many memes have poked fun at Paul for defeating a boxing icon who’s nearing retirement age.
Paul’s fighting career has largely consisted of facing former athletes who are past their primes, whether they’re retired fighters or athletes from other sports. One of his first opponents was ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, whom Paul knocked out in 2020.
On Monday, sportsbook Bovada released odds on who might be Paul’s next opponent, with former NBA player Ron Artest (now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest) leading the pack at +500. Another former Laker, Dwight Howard, came in second at +750. While Artest isn’t quite on Tyson’s level in terms of boxing fame, he could present unique challenges to Paul. At 45 years old, Artest stands at 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds, giving him a significant size advantage over Paul, who stands at 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 227 pounds.
Although Artest has no formal boxing experience, he’s known for his role in the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl in 2004, which remains one of the most notorious incidents in NBA history. The fight began after Artest, then playing for the Indiana Pacers, committed a hard foul on Detroit Pistons player Ben Wallace. What started as a scuffle between two players escalated into a full-on brawl between both teams. Things took a violent turn when a Pistons fan threw a drink at Artest, prompting him to charge into the stands, sparking chaos among players and fans.
Artest has long been recognized for his unpredictable temper, which makes him a potentially intriguing, if controversial, opponent for Paul. His fame, combined with his role in one of basketball’s most infamous moments, could help generate enough interest for a showdown with Paul.
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