On November 15, 2024, the long-awaited fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson finally took place for millions to see. Everyone was either in the stadium or tuned in live on Netflix, eager to see the result of such an unusual event. By unanimous decision, Jake Paul won the match after eight rounds, but the days following the fight were not filled with the exciting discussions that he likely expected.
Most viewers were upset with the overall match and how it concluded. Various articles online displayed the general public’s anger and disappointment for both fighters. In the months since the fight, the controversy continues to be about how boring it was and its impact on Jake Paul’s reputation. There are many reasons why this fight was not what it was brought up to be.
This match was doomed before it began because of the fighters themselves. Jake Paul started his boxing career in 2018, with 11 wins and one loss to his name before the fight with Tyson. His extended reach and younger age gave him a considerable advantage against the legendary boxer. Although Tyson had far more experience than Jake, he couldn’t keep up with someone far younger than him, which left Jake Paul in a lose-lose situation. He could lose to someone no longer in his prime or defeat a 58-year-old man. Either way, it was a mistake to match them together and expect a good look for the younger fighter.
The fight itself was uneventful. Most of the match was dedicated to Jake running in circles around Tyson, with the highlights being a couple of times the two managed to land a punch on the other. There was no sense of power or brutality to be found in their blows, and this lack of tension made the fight feel weightless. We can only hope that in the future, more consideration will be given to fights aside from just name recognition.
