07 December 2024 , 12:48
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Mike Tyson lost out to Jake Paul in a lucrative clash in Texas last month but the fight has courted controversy both before and after the final bell - and his lawyers have spoken out in the face of more legal action
Mike Tyson’s lawyers have revealed that they are not liable for a £1.25million lawsuit following his controversial fight with Jake Paul.
The legendary boxer took on the YouTuber in Arlington, Texas last month. Tyson slipped to defeat, with Paul being handed the victory via an unanimous decision after eight rounds.
But ever since the fight was announced - and practically since the final bell - it has courted controversy, including a number of lawsuits. The latest has seen Medier, a Cyprus-based company that promotes online casino and betting company Rabona, accuse the legendary boxer of breaking a deal to promote the company himself.
The lawsuit, filed at London’s High Court and worth £1.25m, alleges Tyson cancelled the deal on the same day his fight with Paul was annnounced due to Medier breaching their own agreement. But they claim that is not the case.
"The true reason for Mr Tyson and Tyrannic’s hasty and unlawful termination was because Mr Tyson had agreed a deal, sponsored by Netflix, to fight the influencer Jake Paul," Medier’s lawyers said.
And now Tyson’s own representatives have responded. In a statement released to the New York Post, they claim they had a valid reason to cancel the deal ahead of the fight.
"It is the company’s position that Medier, Ltd. materially breached the terms of its license agreement on multiple occasions and in various ways," read the statement.
"As such, Tyrannic, LLC was well within its legal and contractual rights to terminate the license agreement for material breach in an effort to mitigate additional reputational harm to the Tyson brand."
The ongoing row is not the only lawsuit that the fight is facing. A man called Ronald ’Blue’ Denton has filed a class-action lawsuit against Netflix for the poor streaming quality of the fight.
Most Valuable Promotions have also responded after accusations that the fight was ‘rigged’. It read: "Following the wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) would like to set the record straight regarding the contractual agreements and the nature of the fight.
"Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).
"Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules."