Fortunately, Jake Paul is not an idiot. The former American YouTuber showed enough respect for the legendary Mike Tyson to refrain from going for a knockout when the latter, out of breath and energy, stood in front of him practically defenseless. Thus, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson ended without serious consequences, much to the relief of everyone who cares about Iron Mike and had been worried about this peculiar venture. Paul’s clear superiority was unanimously recognized by the judges, with the following scorecards: 80-72 and two 79-73s.
Mike Tyson gave his all. Unfortunately for him and his countless diehard fans—some of whom still inexplicably believe the former champion has something to offer professional boxing—his “all” lasted about two minutes.
Fully aware that his slim hopes of victory rested on landing a cold shot before his 58 years caught up with him, Iron Mike stormed forward recklessly, forcing Paul into a purely defensive first round.
In truth, Tyson landed very few effective punches: apart from a left hand right after the opening bell, Mike was more aggressive than accurate, and his only powerful right landed below the belt. Nevertheless, the opening round could be given to him for his aggressive approach, compared to Paul’s cautious one.
By the second round, Tyson began to lose coordination and stagger alarmingly. In the third round, he absorbed the heaviest blows of the evening as Paul decided to calm the former ring legend down with some head shots Tyson lacked the reflexes to evade.
From that point onward, the bout became a rather dismal spectacle. Tyson, with leaden legs, stood idly in the center of the ring at the mercy of his opponent, who, to his credit, opted not to exploit the situation by beating down the exhausted 58-year-old who had once defined this sport.
Paul contented himself with winning the remaining rounds by landing loose, non-threatening punches—the kind typically thrown during light sparring sessions in the gym when the coach instructs fighters to take it easy. While the sight of the legendary Iron Mike shuffling aimlessly around the ring and being spared by a former YouTuber might have saddened some, many others were relieved to see him emerge unscathed.
Despite the relatively safe outcome, the dangers of allowing bouts like this should spark serious reflection. Tyson’s case is not an isolated one: on Tuesday, his former sparring partner Oliver McCall, now 59, will step back into the ring in Tennessee, while 51-year-old Ike Ibeabuchi is scheduled to fight in Nigeria on December 7.
If these late returns persist, tragedy will strike sooner or later. Not every opponent will hold back, and the impact of punches on an older fighter’s head will not always be without consequence. One hopes that decision-makers responsible for the regulations in our beloved sport will address this issue before a tragic event casts a shadow over the Noble Art.
Lastly, a word on Mike Tyson’s most fanatical admirers—those who, before this match, were betting that their idol would decapitate Jake Paul and even challenge the world’s top heavyweights.
After publishing an article urging people to be realistic and not delude themselves about Iron Mike’s chances, I faced a barrage of insults and ridicule on social media. One Facebook user even told me I deserved to “lose all my fingers” for what I dared to write.
What will they say now, after their god visibly showed the inevitable toll of his age and proved utterly powerless against a modest opponent? Most likely, they’ll cling to their beliefs, claiming the fight was rigged, that Tyson lost on purpose, or that he could’ve destroyed Jake Paul in ten seconds if he’d wanted to.
There’s no use fretting about it—fanaticism is an incurable disease. Unlike these zealots, those who deeply admired Mike Tyson’s boxing career without elevating him to pagan deity status knew the sporting absurdity of this event. Now, they sincerely hope the legendary champion enjoys the enormous paycheck he earned and resists the temptation to put on the gloves ever again.