Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson via unanimous decision in an underwhelming fight on Netflix on Friday night, which went about as expected.
Tyson looked his age, Paul was obnoxious, and the millions of fans that tuned in were underwhelmed, both by the boxing itself and the streaming giant's technical difficulties at times during the broadcast.
Still, the competitors were expected to take home a large sum for their efforts in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
How much?
While not officially disclosed by any participants or Netflix, Paul mentioned during a pre-fight press conference that he was there to make $40 million.
Tyson was expected to make $20 million for the night.
That is a considerable amount of money for the product that fans were "treated" to, but reflective of the interest in the fight and the combatants' star power.
All three judges scored the fight for Paul, 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73, during which the rounds were all two minutes long and the competitors wore 14-ounce gloves instead of the standard 10 for heavyweight fights.
Paul extended his win-loss record to 11-1, with the one blemish coming at the hands of Tommy Fury in February of 2023. Since then, the actor and YouTuber has compiled five consecutive victories, though has faced criticism for fighting outside of his class and against boxers who are not active and competing full-time.
Those criticisms will only grow louder as he continues to take on what can best be considered sideshow fights, where the focus is more on the media blitz and financial stake than the boxing itself.
A win over Tyson looks good on the resume and for the uninitiated but eventually, Paul is going to have to beat a legitimate fighter in an actual boxing match if he wants to continue touting his record in the sport.
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