JAKE PAUL has revealed that he decided not to knock out Mike Tyson during his comprehensive victory over the former heavyweight champion yesterday.
The Youtuber-turned-boxer, 31 years Tyson’s junior, claimed a unanimous decision in front of a packed AT&T Stadium.
Tyson was unable to match Paul’s energy and his condition worsened throughout the eight-round clash.
Though, despite the veteran’s struggles, it was curious to see Paul refrain from landing a decisive blow.
Following the victory, the 27-year-old revealed that it was a conscious decision not to inflict any unnecessary pain on the 58-year-old, who, in his view, “didn’t need to be hurt”.
When asked whether he eased up after noticing Tyson tiring, Paul said: “Yeah definitely. Definitely, a bit.
“I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
The underwhelming spectacle drew a few boos at the finish, while many of the those who watched the clash online were left feeling empty by the sight of the veteran.
Tyson was only in action for 16 minutes.
But to those watching him lumber around the ring with a brace on his right knee, it felt much longer.
At one point, “he’s 58”, in reference to Iron Mike’s age, began trending on X.
KSI, who fought Paul’s elder brother Logan in 2019 and correctly predicted that the duel would not be a contest, labelled the event “elderly abuse”.
“What a sad watch,” he wrote on Instagram. Whole of this was sad. Mike Tyson is twice the age of Jake Paul.
“It was never EVER gonna be close. I can’t believe that this elderly abuse was even sanctioned. Just disgusting.”
Similarly, undisputed super welterweight champion Terence Crawford did not pull any punches when discussing the fight.
“I love Mike Tyson, but they are giving him too much credit,” Crawford wrote on X.
“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.”
Several other fans chimed in with criticism, with one saying: “How did any commission pass Mike Tyson via medical for a sanctioned boxing match, this is sad.
“Jake Paul gets no glory in this. It’s a disgrace.”
Another added: “This is a sad, sad watch. A travesty for the sport of boxing.”
Yet another fan said: “This is why boxing is a dead sport to me. Sixty-year-old Mike Tyson shouldn’t be fighting. How did the boxing commission allow this to happen? Shameful.”
Tyson did just about enough to make the first the only round he won.
Thereafter, the YouTuber kept doing enough to ensure his 11th victory in 12 fights but not sufficient to inflict serious damage on the boxing legend.
The veteran was competing in his first professional duel in almost two decades and it showed as he failed to keep pace with his much younger opponent.
The stats only confirmed what everyone already knew: Tyson landed just 18 of 97 punches, with only four of those shots connecting with Paul’s torso.
While most viewers decried the display, former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew praised Paul for showing Tyson “respect and dignity”.
“I don’t like this stupid idiot kid but I will say this,” the Liverpudlian wrote on X.
“He stopped beating on Mike there and showed him some respect and dignity by letting him survive!
“He didn’t go for the KO there he stepped off him and let him be . . . Mike, we all adore you king.
“You are a super hero to all of us from the proper fight business!”
Meanwhile, Paul is targeting a showdown with a world champion after his easy win over Tyson.
Now 12-1 as a professional, the WBC have teased ranking the Ohio native in the near future, but talk of fighting Canelo Alvarez seems to keep cropping up.
The Mexican is currently the unified super-middleweight champion and one of the biggest names in the sport, and Paul believes he is the right challenge for him at this stage.
When asked about Canelo, Paul replied: “That’s the move, right?
“That’s what everyone wants to see, I think. I want a bigger challenge.”
Paul’s only loss to date in the pro ranks came against Tommy Fury and his only fight since has been a victory over KSI on a MisFits card.
Beating a 58-year-old Tyson, despite his unmatched stature and legendary status in the sport, does nothing for Paul’s credentials in today’s landscape.
However, it does continue to prove he is one of the undisputed draws in the sport with over 72 000 people packing into the stadium to watch this fight and millions more tuning into Netflix . . . the streaming service struggled to cope with the demand.
Can he offer Canelo a payday the multi-time, multi-weight champion will find attractive? One would think that is his only hope.
On Tyson’s part, many fans will be hoping the heavyweight icon does not put himself back in the ring and he lets his legacy rest.
But never say never.
Iron Mike did tease fighting Jake’s brother Logan in his post-fight comments. — Dailymail
