Boos erupt as Jake Paul defeats 58-year-old Mike Tyson in controversial Netflix fight
Jake Paul claimed a routine victory over Mike Tyson in the controversial and unprecedented Netflix fight in Texas, with loud boos ringing out at the end of an underwhelming bout.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, 27, and former heavyweight champion Tyson, 58, went the distance after eight two-minute rounds.
But there was no doubt over the winner as Paul dominated a gun-shy and slow Tyson, much to the frustration of the 70,000 fans inside the AT&T Stadium.
The victory will be celebrated by Paul’s many supporters – he has over 70m followers across all platforms – and will likely pave the way for more big fights, with The Problem Child recently calling out boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez.
But it will do little to convince the boxing community that he is a serious prospect.
Tyson, meanwhile, will hopefully resist the urge to agree to another lucrative fight, having suggested he would be open to a ‘full comeback’ during fight week – if he beat Paul.
Few can claim to have had a bigger impact on not just boxing but sport than Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986.
Tyson, known as the ‘baddest man on the planet’ during his heyday, went on to establish himself as one of the all-time greats over the next decade.
His career and life was not without its fair share of controversy, however, with Tyson infamously disqualified for biting an opponent’s ear during a fight and having several more scandalous moments in the sport.
Outside the ring, he spent three years in prison in the early 1990s after being convicted of rape.
Many within the boxing community expressed concern for Tyson’s welfare but his sensational boxing return was subject to certain conditions, including the use of heavier gloves, reducing the impact of punches, and shorter rounds.
His opponent Paul, one of the biggest content creators in the world, held a 10-1 record before this fight, most of his previous wins coming against ex-UFC fighters and his sole defeat coming to Tommy Fury in February 2023.
Fears for Tyson turned out to be unfounded – he took very little punishment during eight uneventful rounds – but this was still a fairly uncomfortable watch.
Fans hoping for one last KO, one last moment of genius, were left disappointed as Tyson, wearing a knee support, barely landed a punch.
What felt like two fighters feeling each other out in the opening couple of rounds in fact turned out to be the pattern of the entire bout, Tyson initially trying and failing to walk Paul down.
Paul began to assert himself in the third round against an increasingly immobile Tyson who was starting to take some punishment.
Boos began to reverberate around the arena in the latter stages of the fourth as Paul took complete control without showing the cutting edge needed to even take out a 58-year-old.
Tyson’s objective switched from winning to surviving in the later rounds as it became clear he would fall short in his first, and likely last, professional fight since 2004.
In the final few seconds both men stopped fighting, Paul bowing down in respect to Iron Mike who by this point was done. They touched gloves and the final bell rang.
‘I’m happy,’ said Paul, who is believed to have earned around $40m for the fight. ‘He’s the toughest man on the planet.’
Tyson, meanwhile, added: ‘I’m absolutely happy. I knew he was prepared but I came to fight.’
Asked to rate Paul as a fighter, the former world heavyweight champion added: ‘He’s a very good fighter. He deserves respect, absolutely.’
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