And so, what was the point of all that? After a week of hullabaloo and fanfare, Tyson-Paul was dull, dull, dull – a glorified sparring session in which neither man was prepared to step in and make a decisive move.
The only thing that Tyson did manage to knock out was Netflix itself, which crashed under the pressure of so many streaming requests. In eight rounds, he threw just 97 punches, which works out at almost exactly one every ten seconds.
Dancing around the ring like Wayne Sleep, Paul barely had to do anything to clock a dominant victory on points. One judge felt that Paul had taken every round (80-72), while the other two threw Tyson a bone by ruling him the winner of the first (79-73).
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Courtesy of Netflix and MVP
The build-up pantomime had featured plenty of synthetic venom, including Tyson’s choreographed slap at Thursday’s weigh-in, as well as Paul’s constant trash-talking. But any illusion of enmity was forgotten as soon as the “fight” – if we can call it that – got under way.
The two supposed rivals stopped even pretending to throw punches some ten seconds before the final bell went. First Paul started nodding and genuflecting in a display of respect. And then, once time had been called, they stood together with their foreheads touching: an old man and a Cosplay boxer who had fooled the world.
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During the post-match press conference, Paul was honest about having carried his opponent. “I tried to give the best fight I possibly could,” he said, “but when someone’s just surviving in the ring, basically, it’s hard to make it exciting. His age [58] was showing a little bit.
“Like, after he slapped me, I wanted to be aggressive and take him down and knock him out and all that stuff. But that kind of went away as the rounds went on.”
While this might seem like a betrayal of the whole concept, it was also a mercy. Had the 27-year-old Paul really gone after a lumbering Tyson, he could have inflicted some horrible damage.
The fans in the AT&T Arena seemed understandably disillusioned by it all. They loved Tyson’s walk-out and arrival in the ring, which had a rare electricity. But by the later stages of this eight-round bout, they were beginning to shift uneasily in their seats and to emit the odd boo.
When the MC called for applause at the end, those boos multiplied. For all the quality of the two previous undercard fights, which were both rippers, most of the 80,000-odd attendees went away feeling short-changed.
Like Diego Forlan – the former Manchester United star who wangled his way into a professional tennis tournament last week – Paul doesn’t deserve to be performing on a stage of this scale, alongside real professionals. And yet he was competent enough to get out of the way of Tyson’s punches, which were not only rare but also telegraphed.
Credit where it’s due: Paul does at least have a decent chin. When Tyson managed to land a rare left hook in round five, he opened his mouth wide and waggled his tongue to demonstrate that he wasn’t hurt.
The whole evening reminded us why we should admire the real boxers, and acknowledge the risks they take. Tyson remains their patron saint, no matter how diminished he might be by the passage of time. But Paul is still an interloper, using his social-media skills and marketing nous to force his way into the debate.
Real boxers resent Paul’s shortcuts and sharp elbows. Which helps to explain why, during Wednesday’s press conference, nine of the 12 undercard fighters had predicted – against all sense and logic – that Tyson would win.
The one upside of the evening was the quality of those undercard bouts. Almost by accident, Paul brought millions of eyeballs to a magnificent war between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, while the welterweight clash featuring two Mexicans – Abel Ramos and Mario Barrios – also delivered an excellent watch.
As the headline act, however, Tyson’s comeback proved embarrassingly hollow. The whole stunt felt like a middle-aged couple digging their wedding gear out of the loft, in the hope of reviving the excitement of their honeymoon. In such circumstances, the best one can hope for is a brief frisson, which is exactly what Tyson’s walk-on provided. You might be able to remember the original adrenaline rush, and even to enjoy its ghostly spirit. But you can’t actually recreate it.
Still surprisingly quotable when he wants to be, Tyson had earned a few headlines last week by predicting that he would “bring the Devil himself” to the ring. While this was a smart line, it was always likely to be an empty promise, unless Paul was going to stand there and make like a human speed bag.
When Paul declined to make himself a target in exchange for clicks, eight two-minute rounds dragged on even more painfully than Netflix’s overblown build-up series The Countdown. We shouldn’t really have been surprised. To adapt a movie catchline from Tyson’s heyday, the greatest trick these two ever pulled was to convince the world the Devil was real.
Millions of people may well be asking themselves: what was the point of that? The debate will commence about whether this was a dignified farewell for Tyson and a chance to give fans one final thrill, or simply a circus act. Netflix and both fighters will be content to count the zeroes on the cheques.
I enjoyed it, it’s a powerful thing, I appreciated it for what it was. I didn’t expect it to be the old Mike.
I think it’s time to call somebody out younger than Mike, a bit more of a threat, somebody the boxing public can say, ‘we respect you, even if you lose.’
I love Mike Tyson, but they giving him too much credit. He looked like trash, to train that long and only throw 97 punches the whole fight is crazy. I’m just glad he didn’t get hurt out there.
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) November 16, 2024
I am happy. I knew he was a good fighter. I knew he was a good fighter. I knew he was prepared.
I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself. I am just happy with what I can do.
I was trying to hurt him a little bit. I was scared he was going to hurt me. I did my best.
He replies that he has a “biting fixation”. The crowd enjoyed that one-liner more than much of the fight itself.
Mike Tyson, he’s a legend. He’s the greatest to ever do it. I look up to him and we wouldn’t be here today without him. This man is an icon and it’s an honour to fight him. It was tough like I expected it to be.
He’s exactly what I thought, one of the greatest to ever do it. This night is not about me. I want to thank the real heroes, the US military, the doctor’s, the nurses, the nurses in the ER, the cops, the farmers… all the people that make this world go around.
Mike Tyson was too old, too slow for Jake Paul, three decades his junior. Tyson won the opening round, but lost the last seven on my card.
We have just witnessed that Father Time waits for no-one. Tyson gave his all. And Tyson says he might be seen in a ring again. Time
will tell on that.
Paul will now march on his own tune, claiming, three decades too late, crowing about beating the once ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’.
Maybe the only solace is that Tyson proved you can train and compete, to a level, even approaching sixty years old. Both men
offered respect afterwards.
Overall, it was underwhelming. Personally, I would not want Tyson to fight again; or get hurt.
The judges score it a convincing victory, one going for 80-72 with two judges seeing it as a 79-73, and Paul rather sheepishly holds his arm aloft. The crowd sound quite flat, unsure what to make of it all.
Here we go then, the final two minutes of the contest. Both fighters open up a little more now. Paul might be well served to keep his distance and trust the judges’ scorecards. Paul lands another left hand, that rebounds off Tyson again. As the bell sounds, both fighters put their hands up and embrace in a show of respect.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Jake Paul has thrown 200 punches to Tyson’s 87, which speaks volumes. Paul has also landed a higher percentage of those punches. Tyson is there to be beaten, but Paul is finding it difficult to land the telling punch. Another round for Paul, surely, but a knockout does not appear nigh.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Remember, there are only eight rounds in this fight so we are starting to near the finish line. Tyson is very much on the back foot, with his guard up. Paul looking to chip away with his jab. Tyson is just trying to make it through the eight rounds now. He looks a sitting duck but Paul continues to be conservative in his approach.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Tyson lands a pair of left hooks, taking advantage of Paul’s low hands. Paul connects with a right hand, but Tyson takes that one well. The former champion’s chin looks strong, but his legs are the problem.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Tyson was biting his left glove in that third round. “More jabs, more right hands”, Tyson’s corner told him. Paul continues to look unruffled, Tyson cannot really get near him so far. Bizarre as it sounds, Paul is out-boxing Tyson, who looks in need of one heavy punch and a prayer.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Paul is starting to cause Tyson real problems now, he has rocked the two-time heavyweight world champion. The difference in age is clear for all to see, Tyson looks slow and his legs look very heavy. Paul wins a second successive round. Tyson looks wobbly after a Paul left hook.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Paul looks to have settled into a better rhythm, and his greater ease of movement is causing Tyson a problem.
Gareth’s score: Paul 10-9
Tyson tries to start strong, and he throws some punches that fail to connect cleanly. Paul does get in a jab to the body. Tyson is wearing a knee brace.
Gareth’s score: Tyson 10-9
“WHAT IS LIFE?!” exclaims the Netflix commentator, who may be affording this undue philosophical significance. They are well compensated, but there must be a corner of both fighters’ brains where they wonder what exactly brought them to this point.
Paul emerges in a small car, and is then serenaded by the sound of Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight. He does look remarkably relaxed for a man with little pedigree who is about to step into a boxing ring with Mike Tyson. The 58-year-old will struggle for stamina and movement, but he can still punch. Tyson coming out now.
No sign of the Saudi national anthem tonight. NFL franchise the Dallas Cowboys, who usually play in this stadium, are known as America’s Team. The camera then pans round a selection of celebrities, some closer to the start of the alphabet than others when it comes to clout. Charlize Theron surely qualifies as A-list. Joe Jonas? Not so much.
Whatever we get from Tyson-Paul next, Netflix have just broadcast a pair of ripping fights. The opening match involving that Brazilian YouTuber was a dead loss, but Barrios-Ramos was excellent and Serrano-Taylor a stone-cold classic, despite the butting controversy. Can the main event live up to the undercard?
The crowd were very unhappy with the unanimous decision in Taylor’s favour. The Compubox stats showed Serrano landing more punches overall, and a higher percentage of shots (44 per cent as against 41 per cent). And then there were several obvious butts which opened up that cut. As Serrano’s trainer put it, “Katie is a beautiful person but has an extremely huge head.”
Thought Serrano won that fight. Extraordinary courage to fight on through that horrendous cut. Brilliant from both women. Showcased amazing skills on a huge platform.
Serrano’s trainer Jordan Maldonado was very critical of the referee after the fight, and suggested cuts to the head are a theme when opponents face Katie Taylor. He appeared to exchange words with Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn in the ring.
Serrano vs Taylor was one of the best competitive boxing matches I’ve ever seen
— Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) November 16, 2024
Tyson vs Paul is expected to start around 5am.
The fight will be exclusively streamed live on Netflix. A paid subscription will be required. A standard subscription plan in the UK costs £10.99 a month.
I knew when it went to the judges it was going to be a little shady. Listen, I chose to fight. I went up three divisions. I lost in two and I dared to be great tonight. I am the featherweight champion of the world. I want to be great. I only fight the best. It is what it is. I’m a featherweight.
Every time you get a cut it hurts. You get blood in your eye. She kept headbutting me, but we knew that from the very beginning, the first fight. It’s not only my fight, she did it with Chantelle Cameron. Listen, I am Puerto Rican. Not matter how many cuts, I will fight to the very end.
I think 100 per cent because she does it [uses head] in every fight. My first cut was with Katie Taylor. She did it with Chantelle Cameron. I’ve seen other fights where she uses her head, dirty. It is what it is.
I knew it was going to be a slugfest, an absolute war and fortunately I came out on the right side of it. Congratulations to Amanda, she is a fantastic champion and a heavy puncher. The triple was on.
That’s what a boxer does. We train to be able to recover from those punches. She’s a hard puncher. A very tough warrior. I was prepared for that. I don’t think if the commentary team or the crowd disagree with the result. The only ones who matter are the judges around the ring. So thank God.
I definitely didn’t agree with the point deduction. I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty. Sometimes it gets rough in there.
She remains the undisputed champion and triumphs over Serrano for a second time, three lots of 95-94 on the cards. Those scores will cause some puzzlement, I suspect. Taylor appeared on the back foot for my rounds than not.
After taking a fair amount of punishment, there are signs that Taylor might be finishing the stronger. The blood may well be impairing Serrano’s vision. We are heading to the judges’ scorecards again, just like at the Garden two years ago. The crowd are on their feet, and Serrano’s face is a sanguinary vision of toil.
Taylor gave her all. Brilliant. Taylor 10-9
We are going to a final round in what has been an absorbing but unsparing contest. Serrano’s camp are clearly frustrated by Taylor’s clinch tactics and her habit of leading with her head.
Toe to toe action. Won by Taylor. Great effort. Have Taylor needing a knockdown or stoppage. Taylor 10-9
In that last round, the two fighters landed 89 punches between them! Taylor catches Serrano with a left hand, and there is so much blood on the face of Serrano now. The referee has deducted a point from Taylor for the head clashes.
Taylor deducted a point for use of the head. Serrano stretches ahead. Serrano 10-8
An explosive round of boxing, with both fighters letting their hands go and showing so much heart. Taylor and Serrano’s opposing stances continue to push their foreheads into close proximity. Big upper cut from Serrano lands.
Serrano brilliant again, huge action from both. Serrano 10-9
The referee warns Taylor about holding. Then she catches Serrano with another headbutt – unintentional with both fighters moving forward – that splits open that cut above her eye. It is a really gruesome gash, must be a quarter of an inch wide. Serrano will not be beaten though, and she fights on. Serrano might have to start swinging now in hope of a quick conclusion. Serrano’s corner are not happy.
That is over with that cut… horrendous… But they go on…Taylor 10-9
Taylor looking to clinch again to stem the tide of Serrano pressure, and she survives another round. The blood continues to flow from that cut on Serrano’s eyebrow.
Taylor targetting the cut eye of Serrano. Very good round. Taylor 10-9
Taylor’s head collides with the eyebrow of Serrano, leading to a sizeable cut. Always a risk when an orthodox fighter takes on a southpaw. Serrano continues to get her shots off though, despite the blood on the face.
Serrano dominant once more. Hurt Taylor again. Serrano 10-9
Taylor does a better job of staying out of trouble in this round, and towards the end of the round she is keen to clinch again. This is looking like an uphill struggle for Taylor.
Better work by Taylor. Movement much better. Strong counters. Taylor 10-9
Strong response from Taylor, showing some impressive hand speed and combinations. Both fighters exchange punches on the inside. Taylor once again finished the round the weaker.
Serrano still dangerous, powerful punches. Taylor looks vulnerable. Serrano 10-9
Taylor keen to encounter Serrano at close quarters, fighting off her back foot and using her jab in the early stages. The Irish fighter then lands a counter-punch after she was pushed into the corner. Serrano lands a left hand, which is one of her biggest weapons.
And then Serrano catches Taylor with a heavy blow that rocked the champion! Was a looping overhand left to the chin. The bell came just in time for Taylor. Her corner remind her that she wants a boxing match not a scrap.
Taylor staggered after being tagged heavily at the end of the round. Powerful lefts. Bell needed for Taylor Serrano. 10-9
Taylor walks second as the defending champion. We are not quite in prime Irish American territory on the east coast, but there are still many tricolores in the Dallas crowd.
Many would consider this to be the best fight on the card if you judge on sporting excellence. Taylor and Serrano’s fight in New York two years ago was a classic, and there are some suggestions that a third leg of a trilogy could be on the cards at Croke Park next year.
Katie Taylor sobbed this week when I asked her about her mother Bridget. Her rock, the loved one with whom she will say a prayer in the dressing room, famously before the Irish fighting legend walks to the ring. The rematch with Amanda Serrano, a seven weight world champion. What a first fight they had at Madison Square Garden two years ago, won on a hair’s breadth by Taylor. Never seen Taylor so emotional before. Not in public anyway. Shows just how much this means… on the biggest platform ever for women’s boxing. I understand they are sharing a purse of around $7 million.
This is what I was made and destined for, this is what the younger version of myself dreamed of and I am living my destiny.
KO in four or five rounds.
I’ve had great access to Mike Tyson this week. He still has that aura, and will always carry the muscle memory. That’s what people around the world are tuning in for tonight. When he arrived at the stadium, beamed on the giant screen, the audience went wild.
Yes, Tyson is a deep warrior, a proud fighter, who will never want to be shown up or embarrassed in his office, the ring. But he is a changed man.
There was a time when Tyson was a human wrecking-machine, a physical specimen who eviscerated his opponents, large or extra-large.
He now exudes a different persona. Once ‘The Baddest Man on The Planet’, he will try to summon darkness once more, and as he told me this week “is bringing the devil” with him.
Tyson is relaxed, amusing and painfully honest. He wants to knock Paul out. The hubris is gone and his mental turbulence is in abeyance.
In many ways, Tyson, once paid millions for global sporting extravaganzas in giant Las Vegas casinos, is now a man of wisdom, in whom others find solace. He is testament to transformation; to evolution of the self.
Tyson is among us, yet in isolation. Tyson has all the prerequisites for a fighter, even in later life. Most of the fans around him remind him of past glories, yet their praise possibly haunts his soul. As he finds himself through evolution, his ego shrinks and his self-esteem blossoms.
The classic dichotomy. Glory or destruction. Or as Tyson once described it: “I was born in chaos. I’m looking for peace…”
Goodness, the roar for Mike Tyson coming on the big screen in the break between rounds was quite something. When we saw pictures of Jake Paul walking in, by contrast, tumbleweed at best.
Quite a few Stetsons and cowboy boots in evidence around the stadium tonight, just to remind everyone we’re in Texas. I was expecting a bit more visible MAGA stuff, but that hasn’t really shown up on the night – or if it has, I’ve been looking in the wrong places. I’m guessing most of these fans probably voted Republican, but with Donald Trump preparing to move into the White House, they perhaps don’t feel the need to make a big deal about it.
Been here all week. It has felt very big. Mike Tyson’s involvement with Jake Paul in a boxing match has created an event with unbridled curiosity and nostalgia. Netflix has become the third man in the ring.
The explosive, wide-reaching combination is going to create one of the most watched sports events of all time at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. It is trending towards a 25 million audience, or more, on Netflix. Ninety thousand are expected in the vast sporting arena.
I’m privileged to be here to witness, write and report on it. I’m privileged to be close enough to Tyson, to say that we have had deep conversations. He is a deep human being. An extraordinary spirit. An incredible tome on a life lived beyond what is normal.
As a result, he is very special. To many millions of people. And to myself. Dignity is within him. Respect is part of him.
I followed the career of Tyson; I have been in and around Jake Paul’s near five-year deep dive into an addiction for the fight game.
An addiction that is real, that has given him an ambition to be a veritable world champion.
But this is a huge extravaganza designed to build his name – through his promotional company Most Valuable Promotions – and propel his name even more globally. It is all bound up with marketing genius.
Mike Tyson was once one of the most compelling human beings on the planet. Arguably, he still is…maybe even more so.
But Tyson has gone from ‘wild man to wise man’. Tyson is a different man now. I’ve spent time with him recently and although he will bring destruction in the early two-minute rounds against Paul, the once wild character that Mike was has gone somewhere else. His objective now is to summon that once more.
Read the story of how Muhammad Ali shocked the world by nullifying George Foreman in Zaire. Foreman, in one of sport’s great comeback stories, went on to regain the heavyweight world title at the age of 45, two decades after he first claimed the championship. Tyson is now 13 years older than Foreman was then, though the stakes are nowhere near as high in sporting terms tonight.
Netflix have Evander Holyfield on the end of the panel, and he cannot hear Kate Abdo’s questions. Nothing to do with the ear damage caused by Mike Tyson all those years ago, although it does not stop Lennox Lewis cracking a “bitten off more than he can chew” gag sat alongside Holyfield.
The segue to the promos is also incredibly clunky, with nobody quite sure what fight is next on the bill. Abdo is heard saying “where are we guys?”, presumably to those at the other end of her earpiece.
I’m sorry for Jake Paul because when Tyson comes in, he’s going to be coming forward. He’s almost like a pitbull coming towards you, it’s pretty scary. Roy Jones knows all about that.
He’s powerful and can take a good shot.
Not the most auspicious match to begin Netflix’s boxing debut. Whindersson Nunes is a 29-year-old Brazilian influencer and YouTuber (sound familiar), and he was pretty much acting like a human heavy back as Neeraj Goyal whacked him. On the other hand, Goyat doesn’t usually hit hard enough to knock people out – so it was all a bit underwhelming.
Welcome to the AT&T Stadium, which is an absolute behemoth. The roof is closed and the seats are filling up on every tier but the very top one, which looks like you might need a space shuttle to reach it. The Jumbotron is the size of an Olympic swimming pool. It’s a buzzy atmosphere, and most of the punters at the concession stands have been chatting about how much they want to see Tyson lay Jake Paul out flat.
Betting on the big fight? Take a look at these best betting sites for free bets and betting offers.
It is surely not a coincidence that they are the subject of a Netflix documentary series, America’s Sweethearts, which looks behind the scenes at the pretty brutal regimen asked of them.
There is also a nod to Squid Game, another piece of Netflix promotion:
There is no official time for the Paul vs Tyson ring walks, but they are expected at around 4am GMT on Saturday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Friday).
The fight will be exclusively streamed live on Netflix. A paid subscription will be required. A standard subscription plan in the UK costs £10.99 a month.
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Netflix / Most Valuable Promotions
Shadasia Green has defeated Melinda Watpool by split decision to win vacant women’s WBO super-middleweight title; Lucas Bahdi defeated Armando Casamonica by majority decision and Bruce Carrington defeated Dana Coolwell by unanimous decision.
Next up is Neeraj Goyat vs Whindersson Nunes at middleweight.
After that, there will be two fights before Tyson vs Paul, the highlight being Katie Taylor’s bout against Amanda Serrano, with Taylor defending her undisputed women’s super-lightweight titles.
Say what you will about Mike Tyson’s £60 million fight against Jake Paul, it certainly has the virtue of unpredictability. Nobody, not even shrewd and weathered boxing watchers, can honestly say what will happen when a 58-year-old two-time heavyweight world champion fights a YouTuber turned have-a-go merchant 31 years his junior.
Boxing fans’ confidence in the sport is fragile enough as it is, buffeted by snail-paced matchmaking, haphazard judging and a shortage of truly absorbing, explosive contests. The seats filled in Dallas’ AT&T Stadium and millions watching on Netflix suggests there is an audience for a novelty bout such as Tyson vs Paul, though it could come at a cost to the sport’s reputation in the long haul.
Though many will write the fight off as a circus act, it is a sanctioned, professional fight and will count on both men’s records. There are some alterations: rounds will last two minutes rather than three, there will only be eight of them rather than 12 and the fighters will wear bigger gloves.
Tyson has not fought professionally since 2005, but did have a 2020 exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. The difference between that contest and tonight’s is that Tyson was fighting a near-contemporary, and since the Jones Jr fight he has suffered from a multitude of health problems. Two years ago he was seen using a wheelchair at Miami airport owing to sciatica, while this very fight against Paul was postponed from July because of an ulcer.
There have been short clips doing the rounds of Tyson flashing glimpses of the punching power that made him such a ferocious champion in his prime but, inevitably, stamina is likely to prove an issue. Paul has won 10 of 11 fights since making his first incursion into boxing, though the victories have come against UFC fighters. He lost on points to Tommy Fury, but did drop him. The sight of Paul dishing out severe punishment to the older, slower man could prove disastrous, so expected the referee and Tyson’s corner to be on red alert.
Are we still in the realms of sport or reality TV? Tyson slapping Paul at the ceremonial weigh-in looked real enough, though cynics will wonder if it was just as scripted as Pat Butcher slapping Peggy Mitchell. The lines between light entertainment and elite competition have never looked so blurred.
