Paul vs Tyson (Nov 15th 2024): What was the point of it all?
“I’m a killer. This is what I was bred to do. This is my destiny. On November 15th, I will stop him and become the face of boxing.”
These were the words of social media sensation turned boxer Jake Paul, who, at the AT&T arena in Arlington, Texas, squared off against the return of the champ, Iron Mike Tyson, in what can only be described as an over-hyped sparring session. Neither contender took definitive steps to implement what had been promised throughout the pre-fight campaign. Instead, the audience received a tepid match that Paul won by unanimous decision.
Jake Paul’s “destiny” was met by a chorus of boos from the 70,000-something attendees and no doubt the millions around the world watching from home. This headliner match was not a cathartic battle between two hardened warriors but an insipid manufactured pop product, albeit with a compelling marketing hook. Nobody was tuning in to watch Jake Paul; they wanted to see the “Baddest Man on the Planet” coming out of retirement to put a big-mouthed, snot-nosed YouTuber on the canvas.
This is not the fight we got. For eight two-minute rounds, we watched a young 27-year-old connect a string of punches against a 58-year-old grandfather. Throwing jabs to keep the geriatric at bay was probably the smart thing to do, as everyone knows how dangerous it is to be in a clinch with Tyson. Still, professional sports are a young person’s game, and Iron Mike’s age stuck out like a sore thumb. With a slow reaction time, recovering from a perforated ulcer, a dodgy knee, and getting gassed early on, it was no surprise when MC ‘Big Mo’ raised Paul’s hand in victory.
In any case, both contenders left the ring with a very heavy fight purse, with Tyson accruing an estimated $ 20 million and Paul with double that. It is a shame to say the crass commercialism of this fight overshadowed anything else it had to offer, including what was arguably the fight that ought to have garnered so much more attention, being the instant classic between Katie “The Bray Bomber” Taylor and Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano.
Both women fought with so much tenacity, grit, and venom that it kept audiences at the edge of their seats for the whole ten rounds. Coming off the back of a previous fight, it was incredible to watch these two warriors trading blow-for-blow right up to the 20th minute of their epic showdown. Although the Bray Bomber came out victorious, she stoked the audience’s ire with her persistent headbutting, which caused Serrano to suffer a below-the-brow cut. Despite a controversial win, it perfectly sets up the next instalment to the Taylor X Serrano trilogy.
As for Jake Paul, while he has shown some technical competence and ring intelligence, his loss against Tommy Fury did showcase his limitations. Paul has a long road ahead to convince the world that he’s the new face of boxing. Paul needs to improve his skillsets against his contemporaries rather than picking fights with residents at the old folk’s home. In contrast, having turned pro at 18, made industry-defining contributions to the boxing world, and is regarded as the G.O.A.T, Tyson can leave Arlington with his head held high and be proud of having gone the distance with a fighter 31 years his junior.
Paul vs Tyson is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.
