One is a Youtuber-turned-boxer. The other is a boxer who had not fought professionally for almost 20 years.
And yet the combination of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson taking to the ring in front of over 70,000 fans at the home of the Dallas Cowboys gripped the sporting public, with millions tuning in to watch on Netflix.
The streaming platform announced a record 60 million households tuned in, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams. It called the bout a “mega-event,” saying it “dominated social media” and “shattered records.” According to Paul, over 120 million people watched the event.
Those who did watch – even through the technical issues Netflix experienced – weren’t treated to a boxing masterclass though, with Paul eventually winning via unanimous decision after an underwhelming eight rounds.
Tyson looked every bit his 58 years of age, throwing just 97 punches across the whole fight and landing 18 of them while Paul was athletic enough to outlast his vastly more experienced opponent. With the victory, Paul improves to 11-1 in his professional career.
The sight of Tyson back in the ring delighted many of his long-term fans, but it also left others cold.
Former heavyweight world champion and one of Tyson’s fiercest rivals during their heyday, Evander Holyfield, said the fight “wasn’t a good one” with a rueful smile.
NBA legend Magic Johnson, who said he’s been to many of Tyson’s fights in the past, said he had to turn off the fight because it was “just sad.”
“This fight tonight was not great for boxing,” Johnson wrote on X.
Others were more critical of Paul choosing to fight an opponent almost 30 years his senior.
Tyson is not the first opponent Paul has faced who is much older than the former Youtuber, having already faced UFC’s Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz well past their fighting peaks.
Former heavyweight Tony Bellew said fans shouldn’t tune into watch Paul until he “fights someone who is fit healthy and not a grandfather” while Olympic gold medal boxer Nicola Adams said Friday’s result would’ve been a different outcome if Tyson was back in his prime.
“Let’s be real a young Mike Tyson would’ve absolutely annihilated Jake Paul tonight,” she wrote on X.
The quality of the Tyson-Paul fight was put into stark focus by its co-main event which proceeded it, as Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano produced a classic bout with Taylor retaining her undisputed world light-welterweight champion status in controversial fashion.
‘Trash’
The fight is the latest in a long line of former social media stars converting to professional combat sports. What began as a purely amateur venture has become a lucrative money-making scheme with some of the biggest sporting names involved.
And the build-up to the fight was not too dissimilar to a traditional professional boxing fight. There were verbal barbs exchanged and there was even a slap thrown by Tyson at the weigh-in.
But when the two stepped into the ring, it was evident that there was a disparity in physicality between the fighters, with the 58-year-old Tyson unable to maintain his level against Paul for the entirety of the fight.
“I love Mike Tyson, but they giving him too much credit,” Terence Crawford, a world title holder in four different weight classes, wrote on X. “He looked like trash, to train that long and only throw 97 punches the whole fight is crazy. I’m just glad he didn’t get hurt out there.”
And afterwards, 27-year-old Paul claimed he extended the fight for the spectacle.
“I wanted to give the fans a show but I didn’t want to hurt someone who didn’t need to be hurt,” he said.
For some fans, such an admission only validates their criticism of the whole affair.
As well as the public criticism, the fight was subject to a host of memes on social media from fans trying to watch, with viewers joking about the poor quality of the stream and the overall quality of the fight.
As for the next stage in Paul’s career, he told CNN before Friday’s fight that he’d like to fight Canelo Álvarez in the ring, while afterwards, he threw the gauntlet down to Conor McGregor for a mixed martial arts clash.
On the other hand, Tyson didn’t officially announce his retirement from boxing but expressed his appreciation for the experience.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time,” Tyson posted on X on Saturday.
“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.”
CNN has reached out to Tyson’s agent for confirmation on his retirement.
