Netflix made its first big leap into live sports streaming with Paul vs. Tyson, the boxing spectacle that featured YouTube star-turned professional boxer Jake Paul vs. the iconic, world-famous boxing legend Mike Tyson. The marquee matchup set records as far as attendance is concerned, as the $17.8+ million gate brought in by Paul vs. Tyson is the highest combat sports gate ever in America outside of Las Vegas. With 70,000 people watching live and the fight streamed to Netflix’s 280 million subscribers around the world, Paul vs. Tyson was one of, if not the most-watched boxing matches of all time.
Despite some streaming issues on the Netflix app, the main event of the night carried plenty of hype due to the popularity of its two competitors. Paul found international fame as a social media content creator, eventually becoming one of the highest-paid YouTube creators of the late 2010s. He parlayed that success into a business empire, while simultaneously shifting his focus into a career as a professional fighter. “Iron Mike” Tyson requires very little introduction as one of the most celebrated heavyweight boxers of all time, and one of the most recognizable faces on Earth.
The 27-year-old Paul was fighting in just his 12th professional fight, while the 58-year-old Tyson came in with 56 professional bouts under his belt. While no title was on the line, both men had personal reasons for their participation outside the sheer spectacle of the event. From the original fight announcement to Tyson’s slap of Paul at the weigh-in, the hype was at a fever pitch by the time the two men entered the ring.
Jake Paul Was Declared The Winner Of Netflix’s Live Boxing Match
Paul Officially Added A Win To His Record
The official winner of Paul vs. Tyson was the up-and-comer Jake Paul, who outlasted the 58-year-old Tyson over the course of eight rounds. Casual and hardcore boxing fans likely enjoyed the undercard, particularly the brutal battle between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, but the main event gave fans little to cheer about. It’s difficult to even call it a back-and-forth match, as Paul did far more punching than Tyson, but was never able to truly land anything impactful. Tyson was clearly looking to survive, and did so using his experience and ability to absorb blows.
How Jake Paul Won The Fight Against Mike Tyson
Paul Was Awarded A Unanimous Decision Victory
Paul was granted a unanimous decision victory over Tyson at AT&T Stadium, as he both threw and landed far more punches than Tyson over the course of the eight-round bout. All three judges scored the fight heavily in favor of Paul, with scores of 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73. Tyson didn’t look to do much more than stay in the fight, and Paul seemed hesitant to go for a knockout for fear that he would expose himself to a shot from Tyson.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson – Tale of the Tape Fighter Age Height Reach Boxing Style Win/Loss Record Knockouts Mike Tyson 58 5’10” 71 inches Orthodox 50-6 44 Jake Paul 27 6’1″ 76 inches Orthodox 10-1 7
It’s important to note that while Paul vs. Tyson had special rules and regulations in place, it was an officially sanctioned professional match that counted against both men’s professional records, largely at Tyson’s request. The fight was scheduled for eight rounds as opposed to the traditional 12, and each round was slated for two minutes as opposed to the traditional three. Additionally, the two fighters used 14-ounce gloves as opposed to 10-ounce gloves, which was intended to lower the speed and power of the punches in order to keep the two fighters safer.
Breaking Down Each Round Of The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Fight
Round 1
As the fight began, Tyson came out quick, proving that he was still surprisingly fast for a 58-year-old. Paul landed a few jabs as he attempted to feel out his opponent, and kept tying up with him in an effort to tire the much older opponent out (forcing Tyson to hold onto him and expend energy). Tyson’s familiar peek-a-boo style of dodging and defense wasn’t quite as effective due to his advanced age, as he lacked the quickness to be truly effective. Tyson managed to surprise Paul with a quality jab late in the round, but Paul responded with a nice right hand.
Round 2
Both men continued to feel each other out, and early in the round the crowd began to roar for Tyson. Tyson’s leg injury was a factor during training, and it was easy to see that he lacked the balance that he was known for in his prime. At one point, Tyson’s mouthpiece came out, forcing him to take a moment to put it back in.
Round 3
Tyson once again came out of the corner fast and hard, but to no avail. In fact, it left him exposed to a triple left hook by Paul, which made Tyson visibly wobbly. Paul continued to punish Tyson with jabs and hooks, and about midway through the third round Tyson’s age really began to show, along with the shots that he was absorbing.
Round 4
Both men danced around each other to begin the round, and Paul continued to try to work jabs with his left in an effort to set up his lethal right hand. Paul landed far more punches overall in the fight, and Round 4 was where the gap really took off. Mike’s balance continued to look off, and the weakness in his legs from an injury left over from training (and simply being 58 years old) became noticeable. Overall there were very few punches thrown or landed from either fighter.
Round 5
There was more of the same dancing to begin, but eventually Paul started to put some combinations together; he wasn’t able to land anything flush on Tyson, only glancing blows. Tyson landed a decent shot to the neck/chin of Paul with his left, but Paul responded with a right hand to Mike’s nose. It became clear that the neverending jabs from Paul were clearly starting to wear down Tyson.
Rounds 6 and 7
The two later rounds saw very little action from either side, as neither man seemed to want to attempt a knockout blow lest they expose themselves to something devastating. Paul continued trying to use the jab to break down Tyson’s guard, but to little effect. Tyson came out of the corner strong in Round 7 and landed a couple jabs, but that was the last gasp from him for the fight. Paul eventually got a three-punch combination to land, but Tyson took the shots in stride.
Round 8
The final round saw more dancing, and the crowd became restless once they realized a disappointing finish was imminent. Paul began to press a bit in an attempt to expose a knockout opportunity, but Tyson refused to open up. Both men amped up the action in the final minute, and Paul landed another combination, but nothing that caused any real damage to Tyson. The fight ended with a whimper, and with a show of respect between the two fighters.
Will There Be A Rematch Between Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson?
It Seems Both Unlikely And Unnecessary
Despite the fight’s unsatisfying outcome, a rematch seems unlikely, mostly due to Tyson’s advanced age. At 58, it was impressive enough that Tyson was able to participate in this fight, and that he showed up seemingly in fantastic shape for his age. The bout was set up by Jake Paul’s boxing promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions, and the money and prestige of hosting Netflix’s first ever live sporting event is enough of a reward for this fight, while Tyson collected a healthy $20 million payday and proved he could at least go 16 minutes against a pro fighter.