Social media star Jake Paul defeated boxing legend Mike Tyson via unanimous decision in a highly anticipated match held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and broadcast live on Netflix.
The judges’ scorecards read 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73, all for Paul, who secured his 11th win as a professional boxer. Tyson, 58, struggled to mount an effective offense against the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer.
While Tyson actually came out aggressive to start the fight, he slowed down rather dramatically after the first couple of rounds. He also seemed to be favoring his knee, which was wrapped up with a brace throughout the fight.
By the seventh and eighth rounds, Paul was still largely fresh enough to dish out some damage but he didn’t necessarily want to create a lasting image of putting down somebody he held in such high regard.
“[I carried him] a little bit,” Paul said. “There was a point where I was just like he’s not really engaging back and I don’t know if he’s tired or whatever. I could just tell his age was showing a little bit. I just have so much respect for him and that violence/war thing between us, after he slapped me I wanted to be aggressive and take him down and knock him out and all that stuff but that kind of went away as the rounds went on.”
Paul suffered a sprained ankle with a torn ligament during his training camp that left him on crutches for several days.
“It just made everything mentally more difficult to go into the ring with a sprained ankle, having to tape it up,” Paul explained. “I missed about two weeks of sparring. So I really only sparred one or two times before this fight so that’s why my cardio didn’t feel as good in there tonight.”
Despite the loss, Tyson showed respect for his opponent, and the two fighters exchanged words after the bout, with Tyson hinting at a potential showdown with Paul's brother and YouTuber Logan who is also a part-time boxer.
"This is one of those situations when you lost but still won," Tyson wrote on X. "I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you"
Paul, meanwhile, expressed his desire to face Canelo Alvarez in his next boxing match. The Mexican champion increased his stunning win tally last September, by beating Edgar Berlanga.
The event which was also plagued on Netflix by buffering and other technical problems, drew mixed reactions from fans and critics, with some praising Paul’s performance and others criticizing the lack of competitive action in the fight. NBA legend Magic Johnson summed up the sentiment. “Just sad smh. I cut it off because I couldn’t watch anymore," he wrote on X. "It’s sad to see Mike Tyson like this because I went to every Tyson fight. This fight tonight was not great for boxing.”
The highlight of the underwheming event which featured other undercard matchups, was when the broadcast cut to Tyson’s locker room during the amazing Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor fight, for a quick interview with “Iron Mike.” A stone faced Tyson promised a vicious win in the ring before telling the interviewer he loved him and kissing him on the cheek. He then walked away, revealing he was wearing nothing but a jockstrap that left his bare buttcheeks exposed.
Even with a bleeding cut above her right eye after an accidental headbutt by Taylor, Serrano looked to have done enough to defeat undisputed super lightweight champion during their fight, but the judges thought Taylor was better over the course of 10 rounds to retain her titles and capture another controversial win over Serrano.
