Mike Tyson showed a terrific performance in his fight against influencer Jake Paul in the first round of their worldwide streaming match, but what came after was seemingly underwhelming. Tyson now has a professional record of 50-7 after a sad defeat 20 years after his last professional fight.
Tyson went into the fight with a net worth of 10 million and left with an extra 20 million, tripling his net worth overnight. To him that price may have been worth a bit of embarrassment in front of the roughly 60 million households watching from home. This number was so big that Netflix started buffering throughout the broadcast that was over four hours lone. Rumors emerged of Tyson taking the money to lose the fight to Paul seeing as Tyson made a whopping 20 million off the 8 rounds he fought.
When compared to the intense action filled female fight right before, this fight just fell flat. Tyson started the first round with great speed, a good overhand right hook, and an intense jab. Once the second round rolled in Tyson was seen biting his glove. This was suspected to be a way of holding himself back. He later said it was “a habit” but he hasn’t been seen to do this in any of his previous fights.
The fight was decisively strange with both Tyson and Paul leaving themselves open and not throwing punches when given the perfect opportunity. It was nowhere near the skill level that Tyson has shown over his well-established career.
Paul is an influencer turned boxer with mediocre skills and a lot of money. Tyson came from the Brooklyn Projects, working every day to be a better fighter and person. Paul hasn’t truly had to work hard for anything in years so it’s very plausible he would pay Tyson off to look good in the boxing community. After one of the few punches Tyson threw it seemed that Paul had whispered something to Tyson. It was seemingly along the lines of “Take it easy” but nothing can be confirmed. On the other hand, many are also saying that Tyson’s age of 58 and health concerns are the reason he lost, not a pay-off.
On May 26, 2024, Tyson had an “ulcer flare-up” during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, thus causing the fight to be postponed for months. Along with this he has a long history of head trauma and joint problems. This is shocking considering how well he was moving in his training clips. Overall, the fight was a disappointment and an easy cash grab by Netflix, highlighting Paul’s showboating rather than talent or skill of the fighters.
