Anyone who watched Mike Tyson go out with a whimper to Jake Paul in the most hyped boxing match in years couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was going on.
From Stephen A. Smith to Chris Russo to Shannon Sharpe, many of the loudest voices in media spoke to the confusion of many fans tuning in on Netflix in the days after Paul’s win by decision on Nov. 15. That’s not to mention the technical issues that plagued the fight, courtesy of the streamer, which led one angry viewer to file a class-action lawsuit.
But to those who believed the entire fight was staged, Paul’s company Most Valuable Promotions has a message: Shove it.
“Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America,” MVP wrote in a statement. “Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations. Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight.”
The fight was postponed after its original July date due to Tyson’s health issues. After competing in November at age 58, Tyson revealed that the delay came due to his brush with death over the summer. Not only was his age a factor, but his recovery from a severe ulcer weakened him.
As a result, Tyson was far from his usual self in Dallas on Nov. 15. “Iron Mike” threw a fraction of the punches that Paul did, and looked wobbly on his legs.
Those factors could have played a part in why the Netflix fight wasn’t very competitive, but MVP cofounder Nakisa Bidarian denounced any allegations of a faked fight.
“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” said Bidarian in a statement. “From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities—unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time. Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves.”
Bidarian continued: “We embrace the doubt—it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”
Paul and Bidarian clearly turned around the skepticism as motivation. As a former YouTuber, Paul has long faced doubt about his legitimacy in the fight game.
But despite all the hype going in, we may simply have to chalk this fight up to an unwell near-senior citizen fighting a man less than half his age.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is an Editorial Lead at Awful Announcing overseeing digital content and special projects. He lives in Phoenix and has covered sports media for Awful Announcing since 2023.