Jake Paul, a 27-year-old YouTuber turned boxer, scored a points victory over Mike Tyson on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
However, the fight failed to captivate the 72,000 spectators present. Disappointed by the lack of intensity and attractiveness, many left the room even before the final bell sounded.
I did my best to put on an exciting fight, but when your opponent is just surviving in the ring, it’s hard to put on a show. I couldn’t get him to engage, exchange blows, or make things really impressive. But, honestly, I don’t worry about what people say about it, he argues.
Despite a good start to the fight, Tyson was gradually dominated by Paul, who was able to impose his rhythm and energy against the boxing legend. The former world heavyweight champion, aged 58 and suffering from long-term health problems, had not fought professionally since 2005.
There was a point where I was like, “Okay, he’s not really engaging.” I didn’t know if he was tired or had some other reason. I had enormous respect for him, and this idea of violence, of war between us, was very present. After he slapped me, I wanted to be aggressive, knock him down, knock him out, all that. But that momentum faded as the rounds went on.
For this fight of only 8 rounds of 2 minutes each, fought with slightly thicker gloves, Jake Paul pocketed the impressive sum of 40 million dollars. As for Mike Tyson, despite his defeat with two scores of 79-73 and a clear score of 80-72, he leaves with a gain of 20 million dollars.
