The highly anticipated clash between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson failed to live up to the hype on Friday night, leaving fans at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, unimpressed. Paul secured an eight-round unanimous decision over Tyson, who returned to the ring for his first sanctioned fight in nearly 20 years at age 58.
The atmosphere turned sour as disappointed fans, expecting a more action-packed showdown, booed loudly during the fight and began leaving before the official decision was announced.
A Tribute to Tyson, but Action Falls Shor
Paul, 27, paid homage to Tyson by bowing to the former heavyweight champion before the final bell. “Let’s give it up for Mike,” Paul said post-fight, though his appeal barely resonated with the crowd. “He’s the greatest to ever do it. I look up to him. I’m inspired by him.”
Tyson came out swinging in the opening seconds, landing a few punches, but largely spent the rest of the fight sitting back. Paul took the offensive, but his punches were inefficient, with many wild misses.
“I was trying to hurt him a little bit,” Paul admitted after improving his record to 11-1. “I was scared he was going to hurt me. I did my best.”
A Clash of Eras
The fight, modified with shorter two-minute rounds and heavier gloves to reduce impact, failed to generate significant excitement. Tyson, now 50-7 with 44 knockouts, showed flashes of his former self but admitted the fight was more about personal satisfaction than proving anything.
“I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself,” Tyson said. “I’m not one of those guys that looks to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do.”
Pre-Fight Drama Fizzles
The pre-fight buildup, which included Tyson slapping Paul at the weigh-in and a series of heated exchanges, gave way to mutual respect as the bout progressed. “I have so much respect for him,” Paul said afterward. “That violence, war thing between us… it kind of went away as the rounds went on.”
The fight, initially postponed due to Tyson’s stomach ulcer in July, drew a record-setting $18 million gate for Texas combat sports. The event also marked Netflix’s debut in live combat sports, though technical issues plagued the streaming platform, which boasts over 280 million subscribers globally.
Star-Studded Eve
Celebrities including Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Gronkowski, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones were in attendance. Tyson’s former rivals Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis visited him in his locker room before the fight, evoking memories of Tyson’s infamous 1997 bout with Holyfield.
In a lighter moment, Tyson addressed his peculiar habit of biting his gloves during the fight, referencing his history of biting Holyfield’s ear. “I have a habit of biting my gloves,” Tyson said with a grid.
Undercard Highlights
The co-main event offered more fireworks, as Katie Taylor retained her super lightweight title against Amanda Serrano in a closely contested bout. Meanwhile, Mario Barrios retained the WBC welterweight title in a draw against Abel Ramos, with both fighters scoring knockdowns in the 12-round bout.
Despite the record-breaking gate and star power, the night ultimately belonged to the nostalgia and curiosity surrounding Tyson’s return rather than the action inside the ring. Fans left with mixed feelings, and the fight raised more questions about the legitimacy of these crossover boxing spectacles.
