Arlington (USA) – Former professional world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson failed in his first official fight in almost twenty years. The 58-year-old legend lost Friday’s closely watched duel in Arlington, Texas with YouTuber Jake Paul by unanimous decision.
The match between the 27-year-old influencer and the former boxing star took place in a sold-out stadium of the NFL team Dallas Cowboys and was broadcast live on Netflix. According to the media, the fight did not live up to the hype and interest it generated. Tyson showed his age and did not pose a significant threat to Paul, who was 31 years younger, inflicting only 18 shots on him compared to 78 received.
“Let’s honor Mike. He is the greatest of those who did this sport. I looked up to him, he was my inspiration,” said Paul immediately after the match. However, according to the AP agency, he did not provoke a big reaction from the audience, rather disappointed people were looking to quickly get out of the 80,000-seat stadium. The verdict of the judges was unequivocal, one decided in favor of Paul 80:72 and the other two 79:73.
Paul, who started boxing less than five years ago, lowered his gloves and bowed to his opponent before the final gong. This caused further boos from the audience who wanted to see more action. He later admitted that he slowed down from the third round because he felt Tyson was tired and vulnerable. “I wanted to put on a show for the people, but I didn’t want to hurt a person who didn’t need to be hurt. I was initially afraid that he would hurt me, so I went into it. I did my best,” said Paul, who now has a record of 11 in the professional ring -1, but has not yet had a relevant opponent.
Once dubbed “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” Tyson was at his peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His last previous official game was in 2005, an exhibition in 2020, and his career record dropped to 50-7 after Friday. “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone but myself. I’m not one of those people who try to please the whole world. I’m happy for what I can do,” Tyson said. He left his next return to the ring open: “I don’t know, it will depend on the situation.”
The duel with Paul was recognized as official by the licensing commission in Texas, although with modified rules: the boxers wore heavier gloves to limit the force of the blows, and the boxing was for eight two-minute rounds instead of the traditional three-minute rounds. The fight was originally supposed to take place in July, but had to be postponed due to Tyson’s problems with stomach ulcers.
According to earlier speculations, Paul should have collected 40 million dollars (960 million crowns) for the match, Tyson half less.
Sport boxing Tyson Paul professional PHOTO
Source: www.ceskenoviny.cz
