Jake Paul just beat Mike Tyson—and let’s just say the internet has some feelings about it. The part spectacle and part throwback ended with Jake Paul winning on points. But the YouTuber-turned-boxer may not be able to bask in glory.
We had the chance to see Tyson’s fierce style once again. He came out with surprising speed and force. For a moment, it looked like the fighter who once dominated the heavyweight scene was back in his prime. But it didn’t take long for the age difference to show. Jake’s agility and tactical distance wore Tyson down. The older champ was not able to close in the distance and thus couldn’t land one of his fight-ending punches. The fight ended in a unanimous decision, with Jake landing 78 punches to Tyson’s 18.
The reality is that Jake had a plan. He knew that Tyson could knock him out in one punch. He also knew that Tyson couldn’t dance around the ring for more than two rounds; after all, Tyson is 58 years old. So Jake kept his defense up and waited for Tyson’s stamina to run out. After that, Jake was able to land jabs and open up Tyson’s defense. A smart tactic, right? Well, that is true, but not everyone sees it as an honorable tactic to be used by a much younger boxer on a 58-year-old.
The reactions from fans were nearly identical. X user @TomWheeler95 was frustrated that Netflix let the fight happen in the first place. “That Mike Tyson fight was so sad. He’s 58, shouldn’t be in the ring and should never have been commissioned. I’d be embarrassed if I was Jake Paul, regardless of if he won that fight! Who cares? The record books will always show you beat someone 31 years older than you. Just sad!”
Well, Tom Wheeler is not alone as many others share his opinion that beating a retired legend is not something to be proud of.
But Mike Tyson is still Mike Tyson, right? Is it bad to take away from Jake’s win? After all, Jake is training really hard, and he is getting praise for his improvement. He managed to beat some legit fighters like Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva.
This is exactly the problem, however. Jake is selecting his opponents very carefully and his careful selection process to ensure his win is not going unnoticed. Most of his opponents are retired UFC fighters who don’t really box but wrestle. Woodley was always a bad boxer; Nate Diaz suffered some serious damage during his fighting days; and Silva was ridden with injuries. Jake Paul fought a real, active, professional boxer once (Tommy Fury, in Feb. 2023) and lost.
So, we can’t feel sympathy for Jake. It feels like every Jake Paul fight is similar to a turtle-rabbit race. We can’t praise Jake’s boxing abilities when all of his opponents are designed to lose.
But this isn’t the only problem with this fight or well, Paul’s boxing career. Ever since his fight with Ben Askren, rumors have eagerly speculated that Jake fixes his fights — that knockout on Tyron Woodley was ridiculous, and the way Woodley dropped to the floor just screamed “rigged” to many. And it’s the same thing with the Tyson fight. Forgetting Tyson’s age and the million injuries he has sustained over his career, many are hinging on his impressive training videos which convinced many that his one-punch would be Paul’s ending and comparing it to the exhaustive fight where he soon tired and looked “helpless.”
The theory that Jake fixes fights is a bit unrealistic. It is hard to imagine Tyson or Woodley ever accepting a fixed fight. These are fighters that really care about winning. But one thing is clear: Jake Paul picks fights he is absolutely sure he can win. There’s no risk involved, and that’s not what boxing is about.