On November 15, 2024, Jake Paul, a 27 year old American professional boxer, Youtuber and actor, went up against Mike Tyson, 58 year old American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2005. The match was streamed live on Netflix at AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson went on for 8 rounds. It was a grueling test of endurance and willpower for both men. Leading up to the match, Tyson’s training footage showcased his undeniable dedication. Despite his impressive training regimen, Jake Paul’s youthful stamina and speed was too much for Tyson. Tyson began to show signs of fatigue as the rounds wore on. In the end , it was Jake Paul who emerged victorious, earning a unanimous decision from three judges, with the score 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.
For many, the outcome of the fight left a sour taste.
“In my opinion, the scoring was biased against Mike Tyson. Even with his training showing how dedicated he was towards winning the fight, He ended up still losing. Jake Paul responded to the defensive stance from Mike Tyson by making him tired from blocking his punches, with Jake’s agility and youth cost Mike Tyson to not keep up. Ultimately resulting in his loss.
It’s true that Tyson showed dedication in winning as shown in his training, yet Tyson’s age and the effects of years out of the ring is evidence of why Tyson was being defensive in the ring. Also, Tyson’s ulcer flared up, making him not able to train and causing the previous fight schedule to be moved to November 15, 2024 so Tyson could recover.
“I don’t know much about Mike Tyson but I do know that it was a pretty unfair fight due to Jake Paul being so young, which gave him an advantage of having more stamina and energy unlike Mike Tyson who’s near 50 and recovering from an ulcer flare,” stated freshmen, Kennedy Llamas-White.
While the opinions of others highlight the divide in how people viewed the fight, everyone had one thing in mind: Was the fight a true test of skill or a means to generate revenue? With over 108 million people watching the fight live on Netflix, the company earned a 2% increase in their stocks.
“Overall it was a terrible match, the outcome was already made.” stated senior Terrance Thompson-Couwenberg. “It was just a money grab for attention, there was no real loser in the boxing match but just the viewers who thought it was going to be a fair fight.”
Despite the controversy of the fight, whether it was a cash-grab or not, if the scoring were favoring Jake Paul over Mike Tyson. It left fans with plenty to talk and theorize about and a chance to see heavyweight champion Mike Tyson fight once more. In general, it’s about the experience of seeing Jake Paul, a Youtuber that many kids grew up watching going against Mike Tyson, who inspired millions of Millennials.
