By Keith Idec
MORE than a week of worldwide skepticism prompted Jake Paul’s promotional partner to issue a statement Monday morning in which Nakisa Bidarian defended the legitimacy of Paul’s dull heavyweight fight with Mike Tyson.
Critics contend that the 27-year-old Paul and the 58-year-old Tyson had some sort of silent agreement that rendered their eight-round bout an inauthentic athletic event November 15 in Arlington, Texas. Their boring bout, which Netflix streamed live in over 190 countries, was watched by an estimated average of 108 million viewers globally from beginning to end, according to a joint release last week by the streaming service and Paul’s MVP Promotions.
Their event also attracted an announced crowd of 72,300 to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. Ticket revenue of $18.1 million set a U.S. record for a boxing card that took place outside the state of Nevada.
Bidarian – co-founder of MVP Promotions, along with Paul – emphasized that neither Paul, who won by unanimous decision, nor Tyson would’ve fixed a fight while partnered with the world’s largest, most successful streaming service. He also reminded conspiracy theorists that there would be catastrophic consequences for everyone involved if the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation uncovered such a scandal after sanctioning Paul-Tyson as an official fight.
“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” Bidarian said in the abovementioned statement. “From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities – unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time. Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves.
“This event, which broke attendance and viewership milestones for a professional sporting event, is yet another example of his ability to deliver on the biggest stage. As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who try to discredit his achievements. We embrace the doubt—it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”
While clearly a financial windfall for Paul and Tyson, who reportedly combined to make approximately $60 million, disappointed viewers questioned the validity of their bout because it lacked any semblance of sustained action after the second round. Paul and Tyson invited more criticism when the former heavyweight champion and the brash content creator both admitted afterward that they entered the ring with nagging injuries that prevented them from competing at full strength.
Beyond Tyson’s knee injury, which required him to wear a protective sleeve on his right leg, and Paul’s severely sprained ankle, Paul, 11-1 (7 KOs) literally acknowledged that he carried Tyson, 50-7 (44 KOs, 2 NC) once he realized that the Brooklyn native was either too tired and/or otherwise incapable of engaging in any way that would’ve made their fight competitive.
Before he opposed Paul, Tyson, one of the most influential figures in boxing history, had not competed in an official fight since Irish underdog Kevin McBride made him quit on his stool following the sixth round of a one-sided bout in June 2005 at MCI Center in Washington, D.C.
Paul, of Westlake, Ohio, has been a disruptive force in boxing since his career took off following a highlight-reel, second-round knockout of former NBA point guard Nate Robinson on the undercard of an eight-round exhibition between Tyson and fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
A career cruiserweight before he encountered Tyson, Paul mostly made millions by beating retired UFC fighters, some more overmatched than others. He suffered his lone loss to British rival Tommy Fury, 10-0 (4 KOs), the younger half brother of former heavyweight champ Tyson Fury who edged Paul by split decision in their eight-rounder in February 2023 at Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.