More recently, exhibition fights have seen a resurgence, often featuring retired champions or celebrities. Floyd Mayweather Jr., one of boxing’s all-time greats, has participated in several high-profile exhibition bouts since his retirement from professional competition. His 2021 fight against YouTuber Logan Paul (Jake Paul’s brother) drew both massive viewership and criticism, with many questioning its legitimacy as a sporting event. And while Jake Paul was busy landing punches on a boxing legend old enough to be his dad, the co-main event between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor 2 quietly pulled in nearly 50 million viewers. No big deal, just the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in US history.

The financial aspects of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight cannot be overlooked when examining the suspicions of a rigged match. Boxing, like any professional sport, is ultimately a business, and the monetary incentives involved in this high-profile bout were substantial. The consensus among most experts seemed to lean towards scepticism, with many struggling to reconcile what they saw with their understanding of professional boxing. These expert opinions added weight to the growing public suspicion that the Paul-Tyson fight may have been more spectacle than sport. Likewise, Rock’s special appeared on the Global Top 10 chart for one week, but this was before Netflix began reporting views as opposed to just hours viewed.

With a run time of 69 minutes or 1.15 hours, and Netflix defining a view as total hours viewed divided by total runtime (in hours), that comes out to approximately 15.47 million views. Other events, like the “Love Is Blind” live reunion, did not make the Global Top 10 list nor jake paul next fight the US Top 10 list. While Tyson started the fight well, showing flashes of his past self, by Round 3 he looked hobbled, either through leg injury or fatigue.

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Boxing forums saw more in-depth discussions, with users analysing the fight round by round. Users dissected everything from punch statistics to body language, building a comprehensive case for why they believed the fight was not genuine. Others wondered if Tyson had overtrained, peaking too early and leaving himself depleted for the actual fight. However, given Tyson’s vast experience and the expertise of his training team, this explanation seemed unlikely to many boxing insiders.

• Regardless of one’s stance on the fight’s legitimacy, its impact on the boxing landscape is undeniable.
• The consensus among most experts seemed to lean towards scepticism, with many struggling to reconcile what they saw with their understanding of professional boxing.
• Paul is using his jab to good effect, he’s been able to fight at a distance he’s comfortable with.
• While Muhammad Ali is widely considered the greatest and the fight game is littered with a host of sensational, often charismatic champions, no one sparked fear quite like “Iron” Mike.
• Paul, on the other hand, has been training in the United States, with a focus on conditioning and agility.

Muhammad Ali, arguably the sport’s greatest icon, participated in numerous exhibition bouts throughout his career. In 1976, he famously fought Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in a mixed-rules contest that many consider a precursor to modern mixed martial arts. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, champions would often participate in exhibition bouts as a way to stay active between title defences and earn additional income. These matches were typically light-contact affairs, more akin to sparring sessions than actual fights. Other fights included one between Mario Barrios and Abel Ramos for the WBC welterweight world title that ended in a split draw, and Neeraj Goyat defeating Whindersson Nunes via unanimous decision. The Hall of Fame boxing legend only managed to land 18 punches over the entire contest and wasn’t able to land anything at all in two of the eight rounds.

Just 30 years old, the spark had gone and he lost three of his last four fights — horribly outclassed by Lennox Lewis in Tyson’s last title fight in 2002 before quitting on his stool against Kevin McBride in 2005. While he did win back a heavyweight belt, he lost it to Evander Holyfield in 1996 in his second career defeat before his infamous “Bite Fight” in the rematch the following year. Tyson annihilated his opponents, fighting with rage and extraordinary power, leaving commentators wondering if he would ever be beaten.

Paul, on the other hand, has been training in the United States, with a focus on conditioning and agility. The winner of the fight will also secure a major contract with a prominent promoter, with rumors circulating that Canelo will be signing a new deal with promoter Eddie Hearn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. In his heyday, Tyson was renowned for his killer instinct, ruthlessly finishing opponents when they showed any sign of weakness. This apparent lack of aggression was starkly at odds with Tyson’s historical fighting style.

Round 5: Tyson shows something

X, Instagram, and boxing forums were ablaze with discussions, memes, and conspiracy theories in the hours and days following the bout, particularly regarding the fight being scripted. However, the Tyson that appeared in the ring against Jake Paul bore little resemblance to the fighter seen in these training videos. The stark contrast between his pre-fight training footage and his in-ring performance raised significant questions and fueled speculation about the authenticity of the bout. If you’re not familiar, most boxing pundits will quickly point out that Paul’s path into the sport has been feathered by fighting washed up MMA fighters, who are rarely in his weight division. The one time he fought someone with anything resembling a boxing pedigree, in a similar weight class – Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy, a professional boxer and former Love Island contestant – he lost. The promotional and broadcasting partnership between Netflix and MVP, co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021, represents a fresh effort to change how combat sports are presented to the public.

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While some viewed it as harmless entertainment, others saw it as a threat to the integrity of professional boxing. Some fans praised the entertainment value of the event, arguing that the unusual nature of the match-up justified any perceived inconsistencies. “It’s exhibition boxing for entertainment. Why are people taking it so seriously? #PaulTyson”, one tweet argued. Renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has worked with numerous world champions, offered a more critical assessment. “The timing was off, the punches lacked intent, and neither fighter seemed genuinely trying to hurt the other. It looked more like a choreographed performance than a boxing match.”. The choice of Netflix as the platform for this event also added an intriguing dimension to the match-up.

The 28-year-old, who set aside a lucrative YouTube career to attempt to establish himself in the ring in 2018, last fought 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November in a fight that was largely panned around the world. Jake Paul has apparently announced his next fight and it’s left the boxing world all saying the same thing. Tim Rickson is the Founder & Editor of British Boxing News with over 25 years experience in the sports industry. He founded British Boxing News in 2014 and has been published in Boxing News and Boxing Monthly Magazines. Tim is also a regular pundit for Whichbookie, First.com, and many other betting sites. Canelo has been training in Mexico, with a team of top trainers and coaches working with him to perfect his technique.