In a highly controversial and lackluster fight, Jake Paul bested the legendary Mike Tyson by unanimous points decision before a rowdy crowd of 70,000 at a Texas stadium. Streaming to millions on Netflix, the fight revealed stark differences between Tyson, who hadn’t fought professionally in nearly two decades when he turned 58, and the far more youthful, athletic, and experienced Paul, who was largely in control of the bout despite his relatively short in-ring experience.
Tyson, clearly much slower and without the stamina that once made him such a fearsome champion, could not keep the pace with Paul. Through eight rounds of action, Paul connected 78 punches to just 18 by Tyson. Judges scored the fight 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 in favor of Paul. The crowd, once excited to see Tyson, grew frustrated at the lack of action and some left even before the final scores were announced.
Tyson, who hasn’t seemingly cared about the sport of boxing since he was defeated by Kevin McBride in 2005, looked like he wanted to prove that he “came to fight,” but was dealt a sour hand against the younger Paul. After the loss, Tyson even called out Paul’s brother, Logan Paul, a hint of what may be yet to come.
The battle itself was highly stage-managed, including extra padding in the gloves, which in itself seemed to make little difference to the unlikelihood of a knockout by either man during the battle. Nevertheless, the show was enormous. Paul reportedly garnered £30 million from the battle, while Tyson pocketed £15 million. The entrances for the two men were dramatic-the newcomer arrived in a specially designed car and the former champion received a hero’s welcome.
While the actual fight was a bit of a bust as far as excitement goes, the pay-per-view event managed to draw in a lot of viewers, totaling millions, and boasted a list of familiar faces, which included boxers of legend Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Roy Jones Jr., along with several different popular franchises of Netflix, not to mention NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal.
Paul, who will look to take on bigger fights, possibly a contest with Mexican boxer icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, certainly won’t gain much credence in his claim after fighting to a near decision with Tyson-the faded one. For Tyson, this well may be his final bow in the ring, as many hope and pray that he will resist all future temptation to return. But for safety and the integrity of the sport, hopes are that this is one final chapter to a storied career.