After controversy erupted when Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul in the live weigh-ins, “The Problem Child” Paul got his revenge against Tyson, winning in a unanimous decision. While most fights are settled under ten, three-minute rounds with ten-ounce gloves, this unusual match was sanctioned as a professional bout despite being settled with eight two minute rounds and fourteen ounce gloves.
The Netflix-streamed match was also scheduled for Jul. 20 but was postponed after Tyson’s health scare, a flare-up of an ulcer, on a plane about a month prior.
The former world champion “Iron Mike” Tyson came into the fight with a record of 50-6 with 44 knockouts, while the relatively newer YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul came into the fight 10-1 with 7 knockouts in his newly started boxing career.
After millions watched over four hours of preliminary fights, the long-awaited moment finally came. Tyson, also nicknamed “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” finally stepped into the ring with Paul.
In the first round, Tyson came out with his trademark aggressiveness. Even though Paul landed a few punches, he moved throughout the ring seemingly to avoid the wrath of Tyson. The second round came with increased confidence from Paul, as both fighters threw a flurry of punches. The crowd was electric and what seemed to be all of the 77,000 spectators chanted Tyson’s name.
Tyson came out of the gate in the third round throwing a whirlwind of massive hooks, but he felt over 15 consecutive punches from Paul in the next minute, and by the end of the round, Tyson was visibly fatigued.
The 4th round was slower paced, with very few blows ever finding the body of either fighter. This slowing of the match continued into the fifth round, with no punches being landed for the first thirty seconds, but Paul adjusted and landed three left hooks. Tyson showed promise and ended the round with a right hook to his opponent’s neck.
Despite his efforts, Tyson never fully rebounded. Paul landed multiple jabs in the sixth round as Tyson remained quiet. Round 7 was dominated by Paul, regardless of Tyson trying to get on the attack. In the final round, Paul landed a fury of jabs to Tyson’s head, dominating the final minutes. As the clock ticked down, Paul showed the utmost respect to the legend, bowing down to Typson in the last ten seconds. The two boxers shared an embrace as the final bell sounded. When the judges gave their verdict, Paul had won the fight in a unanimous decision.
Regardless of the loss, Tyson felt he was a winner just for getting back in the ring at his age. “[I] had to fight to get healthy [in order] to fight, so I won,” he said. “To have my children see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight 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.”
Paul continued to show his respect for the boxing legend after the win. “Mike Tyson, this is such an honor. He’s the greatest to ever do it.” Paul also looked ahead to the future and when he was looking for his first title fight. “We’re looking at some time in the next 24 months,” he said.
The fight live-streamed on Netflix reached over 60 million streams from households, making it the most watched boxing event of all-time.