NEW YORK, NY — Never again do I want to see Mike Tyson in a boxing ring. Never again should boxing witness a fiasco of a Tyson-Jake Paul fight, a spectacle and extravaganza that provided a negative perspective about boxing.
Yes they established a gate record and surpassed $17.8 million at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Tyson and Paul played before 70,000 fans ($18.1 million gate) which exceeded a boxing event outside of Las Vegas. Entertainment with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, and those of the celebrity types to see a 58-year-old Hall of Famer fight 27-year-old Paul who has not fought an established opponent in his quest for boxing fame.
Image Credit: MVP Promotions
And Netflix with their streaming and buffering issues that made a boxing telecast look bad, except for hearing Boxing Hall of Famers Roy Jones Jr. and Andre Ward on commentary with Mauro Ranallo, an established blow-by-blow talent.
Yes we could have muted entertainer Rosie Perez, avid boxing fan but not fit to be at ringside calling a fight. She offered nothing and don’t know what Netflix and MVP promotions’ strategy was of her presence.
And we could have been better off without staging a farce of Tyson versus Paul. Boxing deserved better, though the Amanda Serrano-Katie Taylor rematch for a title was worth the watch if you were not disrupted with the streaming malfunctions that Netflix needs to correct with their venture of getting in the boxing business, NFL and debut of WWE Monday Night Raw on January 6, 2025.
Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions
Basically, an entire flop of nonsense. Tyson and Paul set records at the gate, for a televised boxing event with Netflix subscribers and additions of the boxing novice who anticipated seeing Tyson returning to the ring that resembled little of what he once was. The youngest to win the heavyweight title at 20-years old, a devastating punch that quickly got him to boxing supremacy. Paul, the social media phenom and turned boxer with some skills but with viable critics.
Again, Paul in his 12th fight (11-1, 7 KO’s) said he wants to win a cruiserweight championship, this his first as a heavyweight against Tyson who showed his age and every bit of why a fighter no longer has skills and stamina at 58-years old. He wants to fight pound-for-pound best Canelo Alvarez, fat chance because he has to wait and at this juncture of his four-year career he would be demolished.
Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions
He wants to fight Gervonta Davis, to boxing analysts the top three or four fighter pound-for-pound, young undefeated superstar who holds a portion of the lightweight title, a draw at the gate.
Simple, Paul says he is the best. He wants to be the best, but far from it and has more to prove. To prove that, he needs to shut up the critics and fight viable opponents, but not Davis or Alvarez that could put a conclusion to his claim. Paul winning fights against NBA player Nate Robinson (40 Years old), Retired MMA fighter Ben Askrin (40), retired MMA fighter Tyron Woodley (42), retired MMA fighter Anderson Silva (49), MMA fighter Nate Diaz (39), is not in the category as the best.
Improved, possibly each time but throwing a right against Tyson would make a boxing expert say, that’s not a sign of Jake Paul progressing with his boxing skills.
But Paul chose Tyson, a retired fighter and a risk even if the rules were different with 14-ounce gloves and not the standard 10. And the rounds of two-minutes instead of three. The eight rounds instead of 10 or 12, regardless there were concerns Tyson was a health risk and thank God he did not get hit much to the head or go down with a right from Paul.
Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions
Instead, this was a spectacle and nothing more. Though the record will show Tyson sustained a loss and Paul wins a no doubt unanimous decision. Disgusting the Texas board of regulation for boxing and combat sports would allow Tyson to fight.
It was a risk for Tyson. The fight was a farce amidst rumors of a staged and scripted WWE wrestling event. And it was not good for boxing, even though the Serrano fight ended in her controversial loss which will set up a legitimate and good trilogy for the sport with Taylor.
Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions
But please Mike Tyson stay home and become an ambassador of the sport. He hardly threw punches, 18 landed of 87 thrown. He failed to connect in the fourth and sixth rounds. Paul was in a ring with an icon, a Mike Tyson we all wanted to see again and showed every bit of his age.
We learned a lesson Friday night, hopefully Tyson did also. Leave the fighting to youngsters.
Image Credit: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions
And we learned that Jake Paul and MVP promotions know how to make money and lure fans in to watch.
They made a lot of money. But for the betterment of boxing that needs positive exposure this was not.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer at LatinoSports.com: (X) Twitter @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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