Mike Tyson was visibly exhausted by the fourth round of Friday night’s much-hyped boxing match against Jake Paul. The 58-year-old legend, who stepped into the ring at AT&T Stadium, found himself struggling to keep up with the pace set by his opponent, 27-year-old Jake Paul.
Despite having the younger, fresher legs, Paul chose not to pounce on Tyson, even as the crowd of 80,000 in Arlington, Texas, voiced their displeasure with thunderous boos, frustrated by the underwhelming action.
For many fans who tuned in on Netflix, the disappointment was palpable. The streaming experience itself was plagued by technical issues, leading some viewers to give up and instead watch Antonio Brown’s live video feed of the scoreboard—hardly the spectacle they had hoped for. Amid all the chaos, many fans cried foul, with some even joking about the matchup being a form of elder abuse.
Tyson, who earned $20 million for stepping back into the ring, faced an uphill battle against a competitor half his age, who was paid $40 million. The crowd was ecstatic at the start, eager to see if Tyson could turn back the clock in this showdown. The atmosphere was electric as “Iron Mike” made his walk to the ring, the nostalgia of his heyday still evident in the excitement of the packed stadium.
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Both fighters exchanged a few good shots in the opening rounds, feeling each other out while the crowd buzzed with anticipation.
However, by the time the fourth round rolled around, Tyson’s fatigue was evident. The once-feared heavyweight looked visibly tired, his punches lacking the power that made him a legend.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul had plenty of energy left, but surprisingly chose not to go all-in against his exhausted opponent. Instead, Paul showed a sense of mercy, a decision that didn’t sit well with the audience.
The boos in AT&T Stadium grew louder as the fight wore on, echoing the frustrations of fans expecting a more competitive bout. In the closing moments, when Paul bowed to Tyson, the crowd’s mixed reaction—some cheering, others jeering—reflected the overall disappointment of the night.
The in-person frustration was matched by the online reaction. With Netflix’s streaming service overwhelmed, an estimated 6.6 million viewers ended up watching Antonio Brown’s live stream of the scoreboard instead of the main broadcast. For those who managed to catch the fight, the spectacle was anything but thrilling.
In the end, the judges scored the fight decisively in Paul’s favor—80-72, 79-73, and 79-73. The announcement was met with even more boos from the crowd. This victory extended Paul’s record to 6-0 against opponents who had retired from their respective sports, all of them aged 39 or older:
- Nate Robinson, retired NBA player, 40 years old
- Ben Askren, retired MMA fighter, 40 years old
- Tyron Woodley, retired MMA fighter, 42 years old
- Anderson Silva, retired MMA fighter, 49 years old
- Nate Diaz, semi-retired MMA fighter, 39 years old
- Mike Tyson, retired boxer, 58 years old
Paul’s lone loss came against 25-year-old Tommy Fury, an active boxer, which has led to many fans criticizing Paul’s choice of older, retired opponents.
As a result, jokes about elder abuse and accusations that the fight was rigged spread across social media like wildfire. Many believed that the fight had been orchestrated with no intention of a knockout ever happening.
Despite the controversy, Jake Paul spoke highly of Tyson in the aftermath of the fight. He expressed genuine gratitude for the opportunity to share the ring with a legend.
Paul seemed unfazed by the backlash, emphasizing that he wasn’t interested in the critics’ opinions.
“I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt,” Paul explained. “I tried to give the best fight I possibly could, but when someone’s just surviving in the ring, it’s hard to make it exciting. I couldn’t really get him to engage me or slip shots and do something super cool or whatever.”
Paul acknowledged that the fight’s lack of action stemmed from Tyson’s exhaustion and his own decision to take it easy. He didn’t go for the knockout, and that, in turn, left fans wanting more. “I don’t care what people have to say. They’re always going to have something to say. It is what it is,” Paul added, shrugging off the criticism.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, offered a different perspective on the public’s reaction. “The only way people would have been happy is if Jake lost,” Bidarian said. “People would’ve been like, ‘Oh, what a great fight! Mike’s a legend!’ If he knocked out Mike Tyson, it would have been rigged. It went eight rounds, ‘Mike wasn’t trying. The fight wasn’t good enough.’ It was an unbelievable display between a 58-year-old legend and a 27-year-old relatively young boxer. And [Paul] outboxed Mike Tyson like he said he was gonna do.”
There may be some truth to that assessment, but Paul’s own admission that he intentionally went easy on Tyson does little to help the optics of what was, ultimately, a lackluster bout.
For many fans, the fight was a missed opportunity to see an exciting showdown, and while Paul emerged victorious, the night left much to be desired.
