Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul: Was it a glorified sparring session in the end?

Unless you were living under a rock, the biggest event on November 15 (November 16 morning if you are in India) was the much-publicised and hyped up fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. After all, the famous ‘Iron Mike’ was returning to the ring after almost 19 years against Paul, who was not even half his age. At 58, Tyson took the fight like a champion and decided to lace up the boots and put on the gloves to take on the Problem Child.
The fight had to be postponed from its original date in June earlier this year as Tyson had an ulcer flare-up. He could have chosen not to go through the whole process as it is never easy to have a training camp at his age and go up against someone with a 10-1 record, of which 7 were knockout wins. The press conference, the weigh-ins all had the typical Tyson spice to it as he proceeded to slap Paul on November 14.
The anticipation was high as Netflix servers went into meltdown just before the main event. Paul, flanked by his brother Logan, made the way to the ring with all the glamour while Tyson cut a subdued and humble figure as he made his way all alone to the ring. The fight started with Tyson rolling back the years and bringing pure aggression to the fore and putting Paul on the ropes. He took home the first 2 rounds but then, Paul took control. He won the remaining 6 rounds straight and took home the win via unanimous decision.
Everyone was happy, especially the 2 fighters, as reports stated, Paul got 40 million dollars while Iron Mike got 20. But as the dust settles now, one has to wonder if this was even a real fight? While things were great from just an entertainment standpoint, but what about the boxing fans wo turned up to see one of the most controversial champions of all time make a return?
Was this all just a glorified sparring session as both men went home with pockets full of cash and a lot of fame.
As soon as the fight was announced, everyone was left scratching their heads. A 58-year-old Tyson against a man in his prime in Paul. Everyone started to expect that the fight was going to take the same route the infamous Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul fight took, all the way back in June 2021.
The build-up was huge as the unbeaten Mayweather went up against the outspoken Logan. However, for many, the whole thing seemed to be rigged. There wasn’t going to be any winners, no judges and it was just an exhibition bout.
Both men would just dance around in the ring as it seemed like Mayweather kept holding back from landing anything meaningful. The bout, as expected, ended in a draw and Mayweather and Paul went home with their official records intact and pockets filled with a lot of money.
In fact, Mayweather would even reveal that he would won the match via knockout in the very first round if it was a real fight.
“I did an exhibition with the YouTuber Logan Paul. We had fun,” Mayweather said, per TalkSport’s Michael Benson. “People have gotta know, there’s a difference between a real fight and an exhibition. All I did was work out from time to time. If it was a real fight, it would’ve been a blowout in the first round.”
Now, when it comes to Tyson vs Paul, if you had seen the fight you would realise, apart from the brief moments, both men were just going at it as if they were in a sparring session. And the rules meant that the chances of a knockout were less. Both men were using 14 oz gloves compared to the 10 oz gloves used in usual fights. This meant that both men would have had their hitting power reduced.
The rounds were just 2 minutes compared to the 3 for usual fights, and we had just 8 rounds as well.
I mean, come on, did we expect any other result from this bout? While many would have hoped and prayed for a Tyson knockout win over the Problem Child, the writing was clearly on the wall. The fight would make it even more evident.
It was clearly visible that Tyson struggled to keep up with Paul in the fight. Once the Problem Child took control of things in the 3rd round, age caught up to ‘Iron Mike’ as his legs gave away and his movement was completely limited.
Paul would just breeze through the remaining rounds as Tyson was tired, breathing heavily and even took a few more seconds on his seat before the final round got underway. There was no chance a 58-year-old legend was going to win against a 27-year-old star who was spending most of his time training for fights and approaching his prime.
To Tyson’s credit, he showed heart and resilience in the fight, and you have to give him credit for his win in the first 2 rounds. He saw through the fight and many were happy to see the Baddest Man On The Planet return. But seeing a 58-year-old Tyson struggle in the end to keep up inside the ring which he dominated for many years was heartbreaking.
Even though he hinted that he would be ready to face Logan Paul (please, no), it’s time that Iron Mike stays away from the ring and enjoys his glory days.
For Jake Paul, the message would be simple from the fans. Please, start facing people who are at the same level as you instead of facing fighters way past their prime.