Boxing
Was this the last fight in Mike Tyson’s career? Will he participate in future exhibition fights?
Tyson lost by unanimous decision to Paul in his first boxing match since June 2005.
Mike Tyson lost his much-hyped Netflix fight against Jake Paul on Friday, with the YouTuber turned pro boxer triumphing by unanimous decision at AT&T Stadium in Texas. Given the 31-year age difference between the pair, the outcome of the bout didn’t come as a huge surprise to many.
What happened between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul?
“Iron Mike” showed glimpses of his former self in the first couple of rounds, landing a couple of trademark lefts. However, Paul came out strong in the third, by which time Tyson, wearing a knee brace, had already started to fade. The younger man was on the front foot for much of the rest of the fight and landed a few heavy blows, without anything overly spectacular.
While Paul, 27, now appears to be debating whether to force a match-up with super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez or turn his attention to MMA, Tyson, who had his first professional bout in 1985, is in an entirely different place.
The fight against Paul was the first time “the Baddest Man on the Planet” had been in the ring since June 2005, although Tyson has previously hinted it might not be the last.
Will Mike Tyson have a rematch against Jake Paul?
Although the 58-year-old has no confirmed upcoming fights, he had the following to say about a potential rematch against Paul at a press conference in May this year: “Hey, this has been pretty fun. Maybe we’ll do it again, yeah.”
Admittedly, that came just before the fight, originally scheduled for July, had to be postponed on medical advice from Tyson’s doctor after the veteran had suffered an ulcer flare-up in May. Of course, Paul’s apparent intentions to move into MMA also mean a rematch any time soon looks unlikely at this stage.
In 2020, Tyson had previously voiced his interest in taking part in exhibition fights against former foe Evander Holyfield, as well as active boxers Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, none of which have ever come to fruition.
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