Jake Paul, 27, beat former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 58, by unanimous decision in controversial bout streamed on Netflix on November 15; Paul's Most Valuable Promotions issues statement saying it is "illogical and inane" to suggest they would break the rules
Monday 25 November 2024 23:48, UK
Jake Paul's promotions company has labelled speculation that his win by unanimous decision over Mike Tyson was rigged as "incorrect and baseless".
The YouTuber-turned-boxer defeated the 58-year-old former undisputed world heavyweight champion over the course of eight two-minute rounds in the controversial bout on November 15. The fight was scored 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 in favour of the 27-year-old.
Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, which partnered with Netflix for what was the most-streamed global sporting event in history, insisted in a statement released on Monday that they complied with all appropriate regulations for a match that was sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).
"Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight," MVP's statement said.
"There were absolutely no restrictions - contractual or otherwise - around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules."
However, reaction to the fight came with questions about its authenticity from big names in the sport, including Hall of Famer Oscar de la Hoya, who posted on social media, "Everybody is talking about how staged this fight was.
"I do believe it was scripted and I believe that Tyson was certainly held back. Look, I'm a fighter and I can see it.
"It goes on their record and it was sanctioned. Jake Paul paid to get the W on his record! For what? For your own personal satisfaction?
"I keep telling you, if you want to be a real fighter like you say you want to be, what are you doing? Who's next? Joe Biden? You have to fight real fighters."
Paul himself fuelled some of the rumours when asked in the post-match press conference whether he took his foot off the gas in round three.
"Yeah, definitely. Definitely a bit," he told reporters. "I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn't want to hurt someone that didn't need to be hurt."
MVP said it was "illogical and inane" to suggest the company would risk a new and potentially lucrative partnership with Netflix by breaking the rules.
The statement added: "Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naive but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself."
