In a display far more spectacle than spectacular, Jake Paul easily trounced 58-year-old Mike Tyson via unanimous decision (80-72, 79-73, 79-73) on Friday night in a bout that paired two celebrities known far more for their personalities than their current athletic abilities.
For 60 seconds, it looked like Tyson might thrill the packed AT&T Stadium crowd in Arlington, Texas, with a performance reminiscent of his heyday in the ’80s and early ’90s. But for the next 15 minutes, plus some breaks for deep breaths, he looked exactly like a man nearing his 60th birthday who hadn’t fought a professional boxing match in 19 years, landing just 18 total punches.
Paul spent much of the fight dancing around Tyson with his arms arrogantly low, taunting the legendary knockout artist to come close. But Tyson never built up any offense, gradually turning more and more into a statue while Paul pieced him up with fluid combinations and sharp left hooks.
Afterward, Paul said it was an honor to share the ring with Tyson and called the former champion the GOAT.
As for the exhausted Tyson, he said he was “totally happy” with his performance, while admitting he went into the fight with an injury. He refused to elaborate. He also said that he might like to fight again, and offered to fight Paul’s brother, Logan Paul, who was standing in the ring. Logan Paul, a WWE wrestler who had an exhibition with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2021, shot back a puzzled look and a quick retort: “I’ll kill you, Mike.”
Netflix’s stream of the card, a big moment for its ambitions in live sport, drew widespread frustration from fans who experienced buffering and freezing issues.
Still, the card featured one of the most exciting women’s boxing matches in history in the co-main event between rematching rivals Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. After Taylor won the pair’s first match in April 2022, she won the rematch with a controversial unanimous decision, setting up a potentially thrilling trilogy. Serrano tearfully pledged to keep chasing big moments for her sport.
Hardly anyone, conversely, will be calling for a rematch of the main event between Paul and Tyson. The louder calls will almost certainly be for Tyson to step away from the ring for good. And, perhaps, for Paul to fight legitimate competitors who are active in the sport.
Despite improving to 11-1, he didn’t call out any new opponents, but did say that he was the route for boxers to make big paydays, and repeated his claim that he could deliver that even to Canelo Alvarez, who is perhaps the sport’s most bankable star right now.
Tyson, one of the biggest stars in sports when he was heavyweight champion, looked like a shell of the boxer who last fought professionally in 2005. And that Tyson was a boxer who quit on his stool before the seventh round against journeyman Kevin McBride.
He opened the door for Friday night’s bout with an exhibition four years ago against Roy Jones Jr., a draw that featured Paul on the undercard early in his boxing foray.
Against the 27-year-old Paul on Friday night, each one of Tyson’s four decades of in-ring damage was evident. The YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul was far quicker in his combinations, far twitchier in his reflexes and far more fluid in his combinations, using his three-inch height advantage to keep Tyson out of range.
While it was clear Tyson trained significantly, as evidenced by his flashes of power in the first few rounds, he had little hope of matching Paul’s gas tank.
Just six months ago, Tyson suffered a medical emergency on a flight that left him throwing up blood and eventually losing 26 pounds, he said in the buildup to the fight. While the two-and-a-half-inch ulcer in his stomach didn’t prevent the rescheduled bout from taking place, its effects clearly played a major role Friday.
The bout was fought with 14-ounce gloves — rather than the traditional 10-ounce gloves — over the course of eight two-minute rounds, as opposed to the typical 12 three-minute rounds for men’s championship fights. But despite the exhibition-like rule changes, the fight was certainly spirited, with Paul sticking his tongue out to mock Tyson at one point.
At the weigh-ins Thursday, Tyson delivered a stiff slap to Paul after Paul appeared to step on one of his feet. Paul said later the same day: “It’s personal now. He must die.”
With the win, Paul improves to 11-1. Earlier this year, Paul knocked out Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Mike Perry, and he has defeated former UFC stars Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren in recent years.
Paul joins a list of Buster Douglas, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams and the aforementioned McBride as the only men to defeat Tyson.
Tyson’s loss will go on his professional record, lowering his career mark to 50-7.
(Photo: Al Bello / Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
