Skip to contentSkip to footer
50
The National
Follow
25.8K Followers
Mike Tyson v Jake Paul: A multi-million-dollar heist or dangerous and irresponsible?
Story by Andy Lewis
• 13h • 4 min read
Mike Tyson, left, and Jake Paul during a pre-fight press conference held at the Apollo Theatre in New
York. Getty Images© Sportsfile
At best a crude pantomime, at worst a little dangerous – the sports entertainment circus act that is
Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson takes place this Friday amid a chorus of disapproval from the boxing
industry.
The bout pits Paul, a 10-1 professional fighter and social media celebrity, against Tyson, the former
heavyweight champion of the world.
The fascination, or at least one of them, stems from the fact that Paul is a novice boxer, and Tyson,
for a time in the 1980s and early 1990s, was the most feared man in the sport. The talent gap is
enormous.
Levelling matters up is the fact that Tyson is 58, has suffered with health problems, and last boxed
professionally in 2005 when he was battered into submission by journeymen like Danny Williams and
Kevin McBride. At that stage, he was a three-round fighter on his best night – and that was 20 years
ago.
Tyson’s mythology as the “baddest man on the planet” has long outlived his ability to back it up, and
despite Paul’s limitations, at 27, he is the younger man by 31 years.
"This is dangerous, irresponsible and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the sport of boxing,” said
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who has revealed he is considering leaving the arena once his fighter
Katie Taylor is done with her rematch against Amanda Serrano in the co-main event.
"I am in awe of [Tyson], he's one of my favourite ever fighters, one of the greatest of all time – but
he's a 58-year-old man. You only need to speak to him and look at him to know this guy should not
be in a ring again."
In saner times, it’s an idea that might not have made it out of the planning room. Yet through the
lens of late-2024 Americana, it is set to fill the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Texas and has been
picked up by Netflix.
Related video: 'Going to be a quick night for Mike': Jake Paul sends message ahead of fight with
Tyson (USA TODAY)
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
USA TODAY
'Going to be a quick night for Mike': Jake Paul sends message ahead of fight with Tyson
Unmute
0
View on Watch
View on Watch
The unease of boxing’s power brokers is simple to understand. They spend their careers attempting
to lure in the casual sports fan, precisely the type of viewer who might be tempted to fire up Netflix
this weekend.
So, when what is essentially little more than a gimmick underwhelms, or the worst-case scenario that
a participant is injured, it has the potential to be extremely damaging to their business.
“I caution myself, I don’t look at it as boxing, I look at it as them just using the boxing ring as a
format,” said Todd DeBoef of US promotional company Top Rank.
That format was born in 2017 when Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor raked in almost half a
billion dollars between them for a boxing versus MMA crossover bout in which the latter never stood
a chance.
That event proved that a huge market existed and there has been a steady flow of plastic
prizefighting ever since.
That has ranged from the low-rent Misfits franchise up to more credible contests like Tyson Fury and
then Anthony Joshua fighting the ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou – a crossover fight Hearn had
fewer qualms about promoting.
Jake and brother Logan Paul have been at the forefront of it. Logan fought Mayweather before
pivoting into the WWE, while Jake has successfully transformed himself from internet prankster and
“Gen Z” influencer into a full-time combat athlete.
Seeking to monetise his fame, he staged several lucrative bouts and racked up a series of victories
over retired MMA fighters and other US sports stars.
On the one occasion he faced an actual boxer, he lost on points against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia.
Although Fury, the half-brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson, is little more than a novice
himself and is better known in the UK for being on reality show Love Island.
“Iron” Mike, whose chequered past is well-documented, has reinvented himself as an entrepreneur
and avuncular pundit, a far cry from the venomous heel who once told Lennox Lewis he wanted to
“eat his children”.
Paul’s fans are his fans. They’d pay to watch him fight anyone – and they have done in their droves.
By bringing in Tyson – at a reported cost of $20 million – he has tapped into the mainstream and
sprinkled some stardust on his brand.
Understandably, many believe this is little more than cosplay, and the fact that the fight is set for
eight two-minute rounds with 14oz gloves helps bolster that impression.
A bout more WWE than authentic boxing – that Tyson will huff and puff for the crowd, going hard to
the body and light to the head, before succumbing to a pre-determined result and everyone goes
home happy, with the protagonists many millions the richer.
As crazy as it sounds, that’s actually a desirable outcome – a multi-million-dollar heist certainly being
more palatable than the notion of Paul exploiting a 31-year age gap against a much-loved and
pensionable former fighter to elevate his own celebrity.
Of course, the idea that Tyson might roll back years and deliver an unscripted knockout on behalf of
boomers everywhere is what is really driving sales.
And, if the past week has taught us anything, it’s that age is no barrier to victorious comebacks in the
US.
Visit The National
Dubai Exhibition Centre construction on track as events space takes shape
Best photos of November 13: A smoking volcano in Indonesia to a giant panda in Australia - in
pictures
Audemars Piguet launches exclusive Middle East collection co-created with UAE collectors
More for You
•
• 2
Khaleej Times
Follow
21.8K Followers
No need to imitate Warner's rapid-scoring approach, Khawaja tells McSweeney
Story by Reuters
• 7h • 2 min read
South Australia number three McSweeney will have to adapt to a new role. — AFP
Australia's Usman Khawaja said his new opening partner Nathan McSweeney should not feel the
need to imitate the quick-scoring approach of David Warner in the Test series against India.
McSweeney will make his Test debut in the series opener in Perth next week, the 25-year-old given
the chance to make the role his own following Warner's retirement earlier this year.
Steve Smith had first go at replacing Warner but failed to fire in his stint at the top of the order and is
returning to his preferred slot at number four.
Warner's 70-plus strike rate in first class cricket is significantly higher than McSweeney's 41.92 but
Khawaja said there were other ways a Test opener can build an innings.
"I don't know where this myth started that you need someone to score really fast to do well,"
Khawaja said.
"You've got five days to do it ... I don't know why you need to score fast.
"Opening's as much about scoring runs as it is about being able to absorb."
Warner dominated all three formats of the game with his take-no-prisoners batting, which often put
Australia in charge early in a test match.
"Davey was special, he could score runs while absorbing but he didn't do it (score fast) every time,"
Khawaja said.
"He was consistent, out there and setting a platform, and Nathan does that very well."
Related video: David Warner backs Nathan McSweeney as new opener for Australia (Stats
Perform (Video))
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Stats Perform (Video)
David Warner backs Nathan McSweeney as new opener for Australia
Unmute
0
View on Watch
View on Watch
South Australia number three McSweeney will have to adapt to a new role in the five-Test series
against India but Khawaja expected it to be a smooth transition.
"There's no guarantees in cricket ... but he doesn't have to do anything different," he said.
"Just repeat the process. He's been able to handle the pressure at Shield level.
"When you look at his demeanour, the way he plays, you do kind of feel over a longer period of time
he'll be able to handle the scrutiny, the pressure of test cricket."
Khaleej Times
More for You
•
• 57
•
The National
Follow
25.8K Followers
Actors who have criticised their own films, from Ryan Reynolds to Katherine Heigl
Story by Evelyn Lau
• 3d • 4 min read
Actors often seem to stand by their roles, even when their films miss the mark. But sometimes, the
disconnect is just too much to ignore. This is the case for comedian Tim Dillon, who – despite a blink-
and-you-will-miss-it appearance as an Arkham Asylum security guard in Joker: Folie a Deux – hasn’t
held back from criticism of the film.
Labelling it “the worst film ever made” during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience,
Dillon joins a surprising roster of stars who've publicly criticised their own past projects. Here’s a look
at some other high-profile instances when actors were less than thrilled with the final cut.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds has been vocal about his disappointment in starring in Green Lantern. Photo: Warner
Bros Pictures
Although he’s found major success portraying Marvel’s Deadpool, Reynolds has openly expressed his
disappointment with his 2011 film Green Lantern, calling the experience a "learning process". The
film, which was intended to launch a new superhero franchise, failed to resonate with audiences and
critics alike.
Continue reading
Related video: John Krasinski Attacking Ryan Reynolds With A Puppet Cracked 'IF' Star Cailey
Fleming Up, And I... (Dailymotion)
"There was just too many people spending too much money and when there was a problem rather
than say: 'Okay, let’s stop spending on special effects and let’s think about character'... the thinking
was never there to do that," Reynolds said at Just For Laughs comedy festival in London last year.
In interviews, Reynolds has suggested that the project suffered from a lack of clarity and direction,
ultimately making it one of the roles he regretted. The experience even led him to add a humorous
reference to it in Deadpool 2, where his character travels back in time to "prevent" himself from
taking the role. Reynolds has described watching Green Lantern for the first time as uncomfortable,
calling it "not a feeling I wanted to repeat".
Visit The National
Dubai Exhibition Centre construction on track as events space takes shape
Best photos of November 13: A smoking volcano in Indonesia to a giant panda in Australia - in
pictures
Audemars Piguet launches exclusive Middle East collection co-created with UAE collectors
More for You
© 2024 Microsoft
Privacy and Cookies
Feedback