ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike Tyson was one of the most feared boxers of all-time, at his peak. He, quite simply, was "The Baddest Man on the Planet."
But Tyson is 58 years old now, 19 years removed from his last professional boxing bout and 39 years since he first laced up the gloves as a pro.
How will he perform -- at this age -- against influencer-turned-fighter Jake Paul? That's as big of a reason as any for the hype building toward Friday night's fight at AT&T Stadium. Of course, Paul plays a sizable role in that as well, playing the part of a Gen Z villain going up against the legend of a sport.
Point in case: Tyson slapped Paul at the weigh-in Thursday night, a move that seemed to come collectively from Tyson's fans, who are tired of hearing Paul's chirping.
In any case, all the talk and the buildup will fly out the AT&T Stadium roof Friday night, when Tyson and Paul step into the ring.
Here's more on Tyson's age and what it means when he puts the gloves on against Paul:
How old is Mike Tyson?
Tyson turned 58 this summer, on June 30.
When did Mike Tyson start fighting?
Tyson won National Junior Olympics medals as a teenage in 1981 and 1984, and he won the New York Golden Gloves competition in 1985. His first professional fight was a TKO of Hector Mercedes in March 1985, when Tyson was just 18.
When did Mike Tyson retire?
Tyson's last professional fight was in June 2005, just before his 39th birthday. He lost to Kevin McBride. But Tyson has still fought the occasional bout, including against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, a sanctioned fight that was declared a draw.
Who is the oldest boxer ever?
Albert Hughes Jr. holds the Guinness World Record. Hughes fought a match in Indianapolis in 2019, at the age of 70 years old. Before Hughes, Steve Ward had been recognized as the oldest professional boxer of all-time, fighting just shy of his 65th birthday, according to Boxing News.
Other aging boxers, according to Boxing News, include: Saoul Mamby (60), Rebecca Light (57) and Roy Jones Jr. (54).
So yeah, Tyson won't be breaking a record Friday night, but he's definitely one of the oldest boxers of all-time.