Ouch. I felt those punches Mike.
“Iron Mike” looked his age in every way you would expect. A 58-year-old man climbed into the ring after 20 years, ready to fight someone 21 years younger than himself. Mike landed 18 punches on 27-year-old Jake Paul over the course of eight separate two – minute rounds. Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Jake Paul is known to take on older fighters nearing the end of their career. 39-year-old Nate Diaz, 49-year-old Anderson Silva and 42-year-old Tyron Woodley are veteran boxers giving Jake Paul an edge.
Jake Paul was very active and animated in the lead-up to this fight. You don’t have to be a Paul fan, or a boxing fanatic, to know the confidence that this man exudes. With an 11-1 winning record at the heavyweight class, it’s fair to say Paul brings credibility to back up his bold claims. The build up to this particular fight was not unlike any other professional boxing event. Verbal jabs were exchanged and even a slap was thrown during the face off between Paul and Tyson. Emotions have been running high for weeks.
AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, was nearly sold out. The atmosphere could be described as uneasy. Jake Paul came out in a parade, with a large entourage including his older brother Logan Paul, to “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. This song was Mike Tyson’s “go to” during his own prime fighting years. Mike came out solo, but with that came a huge roar from the crowd. It was clear, from the outset, that “Iron Mike” was favored by the fans. Whether this support was out of sympathy for his age and legacy, or true admiration, is up for debate.
If you tuned into the Netflix livestream with the other 60 million household viewers, you would have seen 8 underwhelming rounds ultimately resulting in a unanimous decision on points in Paul’s favor. Of the 97 punches thrown by Mike Tyson, only 18 were landed. A 17% ratio of his punches landing, after 8 months of intensive training, is not only disappointing; it’s sad.
Tyson’s reputation for extreme strength and violence brought excitement surrounding this fight, and the contest seemed like the perfect spectacle designed to boost Jake Paul’s career in the right direction. It’s really not just about skill, but about the physical limitations of Mike Tyson today, that can’t be ignored.
There were multiple occasions where Tyson was visibly “pulling punches” in the later rounds. There were rumors and suspicions that the fight was completely rigged.
After the fight Tyson commented, “I just fight to pay my bills” and “I’m grateful for last night. No regrets getting in the ring one last time.”
Tyson quickly became emotional in the pre-fight conference saying, “To my kids, I’m nobody. Hopefully after this fight they’ll see something in me.”
Tyson has had a complex and controversial life in and outside the ring including many personal struggles with family, friends, addictions and incarceration. During his professional boxing career he faced multiple scandals. With almost no background in any other occupation, Tyson found it difficult during retirement to find purpose. The boxer has made numerous mistakes throughout his professional career and personal life, but we can’t take anything away from his pure class in the sport of boxing.
I hope Mike Tyson left boxing on a high note, even with this loss. Not only will he be regarded as one of the greatest boxers to throw a punch, but also a true legend of the sport.
