The Paw Print

By Maren Theyssen, Staff Writer
Jake Paul, also known as “El Gallo,” who is 11-1 with 7 KOs, has quickly become one of the most followed boxers in the sport. Before his boxing career, he was known by many as a YouTuber who posted challenge videos or vlogs about his life. Back in January of 2020, he debuted his professional boxing career against Ali Eson Gib, another YouTuber. Many people have seen him as a joke to the sport despite his record due to the fact that his opponents have either been lesser-known or much older than him. His most notable win has been against Nate Diaz, who is 12 years older than him. 

The fight between Jake Paul and former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was originally scheduled to occur on July 20, but it was postponed because Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up, which greatly impacted his health. Tyson, one of the most well-known and best boxers of all time, is currently 58 years old, and he has overcome a plethora of health issues ever since he retired from the sport. Still, determined to put Paul in his place, Tyson agreed to reschedule the fight to Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, with the fight streaming on Netflix. 

Netflix, who had been advertising the fight for months, was a total failure at providing fans with a clean stream to watch the fight. It seemed like every few seconds, viewers were met with the spinning circle of death, with the stream constantly buffering. Whenever Paul and Tyson seemed to come close, Netflix would decide to freeze. It was painful for the 65 million viewers across the world trying to enjoy the fight. This lack of quality by Netflix is raising questions of the platform’s ability to stream the Christmas day NFL game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs playing at the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC matchup. 

During the walkouts, it was clear who the fan favorite was. The minute Paul entered the arena, he was met with a mix of boos and silence. He entered out in a car, which was driving as slow as it possibly could. In the back, he had his pet pigeon in a cage, which  Tyson had said was “a low budget pedigree,” and added that he would “feed him to [his] falcon” during the sit-down. The quietness and small boos when Paul’s name was announced did not go unnoticed. When Tyson was introduced out of the red corner, the crowd erupted in cheers. Nearly everyone in the arena wanted to see the former champion win. 

Though, when the fight started, that immediately didn’t look like it was going to be the case. Tyson was known for having first- and second-round knockouts, which were how he won many of his fights. When the bell rang and the first round started, things were slow. Tyson looked slow on his feet, and it was clear he was not as mobile as he was before– but his first round strength did not falter. He landed multiple shots to Paul and scored a win in the first round. Things were looking similar through the second, with Tyson also winning that round– but towards the end of the second, the tide began to shift. 

In the third round, Paul’s young age and swiftness took over. He landed punch after punch, using his agility to his advantage as Tyson struggled to move. This became the narrative throughout the fight. As the rounds moved on, Paul danced around Tyson and threw punches– none of which were powerful enough for a knockout. Tyson managed to stay on his feet throughout the fight despite being constantly hit, but he threw less and less punches and it was rather clear he was on constant defense. He held his hands close to his body, biting his glove in a stance that could only be described as one of defeat. 

It became evident that Paul had no goal to knockout Tyson. He frequented breaks, it seemed, giving Tyson time to recover and regain a bit of stamina just to stay up. This raised many questions for viewers, specifically regarding whether or not the fight was fixed. That was the way it seemed, at least. The timing of punches and attacks, how much time Paul spent dancing around all seemed suspicious to many. Tyson had earned $20 million from the fight, leading many to believe that he just stepped in the ring to earn the money rather than attempt to fight Paul like he used to. 

It wasn’t surprising when Paul won by unanimous decision. Paul had thrown 278 punches to Tyson’s 97, and he had landed 78 of them to Tyson’s 18. What felt like a painful fight was finally over– and that was evident for the fanbase in Texas, which gave no cheers or reaction when Paul won the fight. Although Paul had officially beaten one of the best boxers in history, sports fans across the world showed no care. The age difference between Paul and Tyson proved to be the main reason why Tyson lost the fight, and boxing fans are criticizing Paul’s opponent choices. None of his fights have proved his power as a boxer– but the fight, which had 65 million viewers, did increase his publicity and showcased him to the world. 

Paul vs. Tyson was clearly the fight of the night– well, it was scheduled to be, as it was the main card. But it was easily blown away by the fight beforehand, where Katie Taylor faced off against Amanda Serrano. The two women displayed extreme skill in the ring, both absolutely relentless and taking each other down to the wire. The back and forth of pure punching power was nonstop, with both women ending up with many facial bruises and injuries at the end of the fight. Katie Taylor ended up winning in a narrow split decision, which was controversial. While the results of the fights were tainted and many fans remained confused by the decision, one thing was clear: the determination and power between the two women will become an example of the value of women’s sports for years to come. Around 50 million houses globally tuned into the fight, the most watched women’s sporting event in history. The fight will continue to empower young girls to chase their dreams and make it to the big stage, and it breaks many stereotypes surrounding women’s sports. 

While the Paul vs. Tyson fight may have been an absolute disappointment to those who watched, the night was a success. It brought plenty of attention to the sport of boxing, specifically women’s boxing. The Taylor vs. Serrano fight will play a major role in the evolution of women’s sports for years to come.