Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight: why are their gloves 14oz?

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s gloves, like any other professional boxing gloves, are given a certain weight for specific reasons depending on their purpose and context. They’ve been the source of debate for their fight in Arlington, Texas because of their weight: 14oz, which is unusual for a ‘proper’ fight.

Here’s a breakdown of why gloves change in weight and why these two fighters have gone for this weight:

1. Glove Weight Regulations

Boxing gloves come in different weights, usually measured in ounces (oz), and their weight depends on the type of fight or training, determined by agreements between the fighters and authorities:

• Professional Fights:
  • Gloves used in pro matches are often 8 oz or 10 oz, depending on the fighters’ weight class. These are lighter but still pack a punch.
• Sparring or Training Gloves:
  • Training gloves are heavier, typically 14 oz to 20 oz, to provide more padding and protect the hands and sparring partners. Heavier gloves are common in practice to build endurance and strength.

For Mike Tyson and Jake Paul:

• Tyson often used 8 oz gloves in his prime fights and heavier gloves, 18 oz in his training, to protect his hands (and those poor sparring partners.
• Jake Paul, usually a cruiserweight but fighting as a heavyweight here, generally uses 10 oz gloves for matches but trains with heavier gloves (14–16 oz) to simulate fatigue and improve conditioning.

2. Benefits of Different Gloves

• Protection: Heavier gloves have extra padding to protect fighters’ hands during sparring and reduce injury risks.
• Endurance Training: Using heavier gloves in training builds arm strength and stamina, making lighter gloves feel faster during actual fights.
• Power Delivery: For Tyson back in the day, a heavyweight with knockout power, gloves with a good balance of padding and weight were crucial to maximise his power without injuring himself. 8oz was his go to in his prime.

3. What’s inside the gloves?

• Glove Fillings: Horsehair or foam or a combination of both is generally used for boxing gloves. The type of foam or horsehair inside the gloves can also affect their weight and how “heavy” they feel when worn. The older gloves that Tyson has back in the day often used denser materials, which might feel heavier than modern foam-based gloves. Tyson may well be using his own-brand gloves which have a cowhide leather coating.
• The Foam inside: The actual padding has several layers: the outer layer is a synthetic sponge foam. A central layer is medium density EVA form. The inner layer is a high density synthetic foam. Then under that is a 10mm foam sheet which protects the knuckles.

4. Psychological Impact (Are these gloves getting heavier?)

• When fighters like Mike Tyson or Jake Paul are wearing gloves for bouts, the psychological and physical toll of a gruelling fight can make the gloves feel heavier over time when fatigue sets in.

In short, the reason for Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are wearing heavier gloves is to not do too much damage to each other. Understandable really, when one is 31 years older than the other. Will a KO still happen though? You wouldn’t bet against it…