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Hagley Park In Stadium Live Feed“The whole thing was a rort”: Former world champion slams Paul v Tyson bout
Lachlan Geleit • November 18th, 2024 1:02 pm
Aussie boxing great Barry Michael has labelled the Jake Paul v Mike Tyson fight as a black eye for the sport.
Paul, 27, easily defeated the 58-year-old Tyson by unanimous decision in front of 72,000 fans in Texas and millions more on Netflix on Saturday (AEDT).
It was Tyson’s first professional fight since 2005 and while Michael – a former world champion – admitted the all-time great looked in good condition in the lead-up, he believes that the bout was a rort given the age gap and Paul’s uninspiring background with the gloves.
“To be honest with you before the fight, Mike did look in good condition,” Michael told SEN Breakfast.
“I watched him train over a period of months, he really did look in great shape and showed flashes of some brilliance in the gym.
“But look at the end of the day, I think the whole thing was a rort.
“Jake Paul really carried Mike Tyson's jockstrap, to be honest, and I think it was a travesty for Mike Tyson to lose to someone like Jake Paul.
“I think it's a really bad black eye for boxing, to be honest. It's just all about the dollar.”
While Tyson is one of the greatest to ever step into the ring, Michael believes that YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul could have easily ended the fight sooner if he felt like putting his foot on the gas.
As the contest fizzled out towards the end of the eight rounds – which went for two minutes each instead of the usual three – Michael viewed the contest as more of a sparring session than a traditional fight.
“After the first two rounds, I think Jake Paul could have really stepped it up if he wanted to because Mike was predictable,” Michael said.
“He wasn't throwing punches as the sparring session – I won’t call it a fight – progressed.
“I just think it's very sad that Mike at 58 had to come back and do this. Good luck to him because he's made a lot of money which is good for his family.
“But for me, it’s a real black eye for boxing.”
Paul reportedly made $40 million USD for the bout, with Tyson collecting an estimated $20 million USD for his efforts.
Tyson refused to rule out returning to the ring again for another fight following the bout.
