Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul left a permanent stain on two-time heavyweight champion Mike Tyson’s boxing legacy with a tedious points win in front of 70,000 frustrated fans in Texas – and millions watching the controversial bout on streaming powerhouse Netflix.
Tyson, as you might expect from a man aged 58 and having not competed professionally in 19 years, was a shadow of his old self.
Paul, 27, is a boxing novice but was too young and too athletic. He kept Tyson at range, landing jabs and accurate punches in an eight-round contest of two-minute rounds.
Tyson was slow and sluggish. He received a heroes reception before the fight, but there were huge boos as the fight drew to a close.
Some fans left before judges’ scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 were announced.
There were question marks on the legitimacy of this fight and how seriously both men would take it, but Tyson said he “came to fight.”
In an uncomfortable moment post-fight, Tyson, after his seventh pro loss in 57 bouts, called out Paul’s brother Logan and suggested he could fight again.
Both men wore heavier gloves with extra padding as part of the conditions set by the Texas commission, who sanctioned it as a pro fight – a decision looks even more ludicrous post-fight.
Lighter gloves would have made no difference, no punches thrown even came close to a knockout.
Tyson landed only 18 punches in the entire fight, compared to Paul’s 78.
Paul made his celebrity name by posting prank videos online and amassing a social media following of 70m before venturing into boxing.
He wins his 11th pro fight, having lost to Tommy Fury last year, and once again reiterated his desire to fight Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
“He knows he wants a payday so he knows where the money is at,” Paul said.
More to follow.
