Many fans initially felt the sting of disappointment as they watched 58-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson fall to YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul, but after the shock wore off, speculations begin to arise that the heavy hitting heavyweight was focused on securing the bag more than a blaze of glory he didn’t need to prove, being the legend he already is.

 

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After months of hyped promos and trash talk, fans expected Iron Mike to knock out Paul in under eight seconds. Tyson even set the stage at the weigh-in, striding in with confidence in his signature speedos and socks. Tyson kept the crowd on edge with an unexpected slap to Paul, and surprisingly the young newcomer took the hit without flinching.

But for those who stayed up to catch the late-night fight, it turned out to be a letdown. Instead of the hard-hitting brawl fans anticipated, what they got was seemingly a sad display of elder abuse. Or was it, really?

Even though rounds were cut down to two minutes, which should’ve played to Tyson’s favor, it appeared he struggled to keep up, looking winded and weary before time was up. Meanwhile, Paul held his own and showed some respect for the legend, saying at the post-fight conference, “I wanted to give fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone who didn’t need to be hurt.”

In the end, Paul, 27, claimed victory over Tyson, 58, after eight two-minute rounds, with the scorecards reading 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73. This fight marked Tyson’s first official return since retiring in 2005, though he did face off in an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. back in 2020.

Paul reportedly took home $40 million, while Tyson earned $20 million, which is definitely no chump change.

Regardless of what many may think, Tyson was applauded by fans around the world for going toe-to-toe with an athlete half his age. In the end, “Iron Mike” is still the champ in many’s eyes with a hyped fight that could make legendary promoter Don King proud.

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