ARLINGTON, Texas – AT&T Stadium, known for housing high-octane moments in sports history, was packed with nearly 80,000 fans Friday night. They came hungry for a showdown between the legendary “Iron” Mike Tyson and social media’s most controversial boxer, Jake Paul. Instead, they got… well, something closer to a Netflix buffering wheel and a collective yawn by the fourth round.
Let’s start with the good: Mike Tyson, 58 years young and decades removed from his prime, still had flashes of his old self in the early moments of the fight. The crowd, electrified by the legend stepping into the ring, roared with anticipation. The first few punches? Vintage Tyson. The rest? A gentle reminder of why Father Time is undefeated.
By the fourth round, however, reality—and exhaustion—set in. Tyson, showing signs that perhaps a few decades off doesn’t keep you sharp, was gassed. Jake Paul, 27 years old and notoriously polarizing, saw his opportunity to turn the tide. Did he seize it? Not exactly.
“Let’s Dance, Not Destroy”
In the post-fight presser, Paul admitted to easing up on Tyson. “I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt,” he said, making it sound like he was an altruistic saint in the ring. Twitter, meanwhile, collectively rolled its eyes.
Paul also blamed Tyson for playing too defensively. “When someone’s just surviving in the ring, it’s hard to make it exciting,” he said. Translation? “I tried to make this fun, but Tyson didn’t feel like cooperating.” How dare a 58-year-old man not engage in a slugfest with a YouTuber in peak physical condition?
Fans weren’t having it. The jeers in the stadium were matched only by the online outrage, where some called the bout a glorified sparring session. Add in Netflix’s streaming hiccups—buffering that seemed longer than Tyson’s energy span—and the “spectacle of the year” quickly became the snooze of the month.
“Boring Fight or Boxing Chess Match?”
Let’s be fair: Paul did what he set out to do. He won by unanimous decision, improving to 11-1 in his career and officially outboxing one of the greatest names in the sport’s history. Tyson, meanwhile, added another loss to his record, which now reads like a sad epilogue to an otherwise legendary career.
Yet, the fight’s narrative was far from a Rocky sequel. The highlight of the week wasn’t even from the fight but Tyson’s slap during the weigh-in—a moment that had more ferocity than the entirety of round seven.
Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, attempted to control the narrative post-fight, defending the lack of fireworks. “The only way people would have been happy is if Jake lost,” he argued, throwing shade at fans’ “impossible” standards. Of course, had Tyson landed a surprise KO, conspiracy theories would’ve written themselves, declaring the whole event rigged. It seems nobody wins in the court of public opinion, not even winners.
“So, What’s Next?”
Paul, unfazed by the criticism, brushed off the negativity with trademark bravado: “I don’t care what people have to say. It is what it is.” Tyson, meanwhile, skipped the media entirely, presumably because there wasn’t much left to say after another lackluster outing in the twilight of his career.
This fight was supposed to bridge generations—a 58-year-old heavyweight icon versus a 27-year-old influencer-turned-boxer. Instead, it delivered an eight-round masterclass in unmet expectations. For those who tuned in expecting fireworks, it was more like a flickering sparkler in the rain.
Boxing purists will argue about its significance, and Paul’s detractors will continue their crusade. But one thing’s for sure: Netflix should add a disclaimer next time—”Excitement not guaranteed.”
