Both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have received suspensions from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation following their massively-watched, immediately notorious fight on Netflix.
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Paul cruised to an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Tyson, in a bout that ultimately failed to deliver the drama and excitement fans had anticipated.
The 27-year-old former YouTuber-turned-boxer dominated 58-year-old Tyson, who was stepping back into the ring for the first time in nearly two decades in a sanctioned professional fight. The judges’ scorecards reflected the one-sided nature of the fight, with one giving Paul an 80-72 lead and the other two scoring it 79-73.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul pose after the final press conference for their upcoming heavyweight fight at Toyota Music Factory on November 13, 2024 in Irving, Texas.
Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
It also turns out that both boxers are automatically receiving 24-day suspensions from the Texan body that oversaw the fight.
However, these are not disciplinary suspensions, but, because the Tyson-Paul matchup was a professional fight, not an exhibition, both fighters must comply with the mandatory rest regulations established by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Per these rules, both Tyson and Paul are required to take three days of rest for each round they fought. Since the fight went the full eight rounds, both fighters must now rest for a total of 24 days.
“Contestants shall automatically receive rest periods, medical suspensions, or medical disqualifications for the following…” The official rules read. “All contestants shall receive a mandatory rest period calculated as three days of rest for each round fought with no less than a seven-day mandatory minimum rest period.”
Netflix had spent months building up hype around the fight, which was the platform’s first attempt at live-streaming a combat sports event. Before the actual fight, Paul had extensively trash-talked the former undisputed heavyweight world champion, while Tyson had physically slapped the former Disney Channel actor during the weigh-in, seemingly ramping up the bad blood.
However, the tension that fueled the pre-fight buildup evaporated as the fight unfolded, and the crowd’s enthusiasm waned, eventually turning to boos as they realized the contest was far from the explosive spectacle they had hoped for.
Netflix’s live stream was plagued by persistent buffering, freezing, and other disruptions, making for a frustrating viewing experience from the very beginning. The problems didn’t stop with the streaming service itself—production glitches also took a toll on the broadcast.
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During early interviews, both Evander Holyfield’s earpiece and Jerry Jones’ microphone malfunctioned, further escalating the frustration for both viewers and those involved in the broadcast.
As the issues piled up, British presenter Kate Abdo was forced to apologize on air after a string of technical difficulties continued to interrupt Netflix’s live coverage.
It is unknown who Paul will face next or whether Tyson will ever participate in another sanctioned match, but, either way, they’ll have to wait.
For more on Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, head to Newsweek Sports.
