Jake Paul beats Mike Tyson on points in controversial return to the ring
by Jamie Barlow, Martin Domin · NottinghamshireLiveJake Paul beat boxing veteran Mike Tyson in a points decision, on the 58-year-old's return to the ring. Over the eight-round contest, Paul dominated on the scorecards but failed to knock out Tyson, who was engaging in his first competitive fight in four years and his first official bout in nearly two decades.
Despite hosting 70,000 spectators, the event ended with disgruntlement as many left shortly after the final bell rang without waiting for the result. After the verdict, Paul acknowledged Tyson's status, stating: "Mike Tyson, he's a legend.
"He's the greatest to ever do it. I look up to him and we wouldn't be here today without him. This man is an icon and it's an honour to fight him. It was tough like I expected it to be."
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The bout had been postponed previously due to Tyson suffering a health scare caused by an inflamed ulcer mid-flight which resulted in hospitalisation.
Post recovery, the rescheduled event featured Paul making an entrance with brother Logan in a signature Chevy, set to the tunes of Phil Collins' 'In The Air Tonight', hinting at Tyson's popular scene in 'The Hangover'. Tyson, in contrast, went for a stark approach, entering the match clad in black without pomp.
Tyson started the first round with a sense of urgency, forcing the younger Paul to hold on. Despite his cumbersome movement, Tyson sought to land punches at every opportunity and was cautioned for one that went too low, reports the Mirror.
In the second round, Paul targeted Tyson's body before moving upstairs with his right hand. Tyson managed to land a glancing left hook before Paul clung on again.
By the third round, Tyson seemed to be struggling with Paul's increased pressure, suggesting his best chance of victory had passed. Fans hoping for a resurgence of Iron Mike in the ring were likely disappointed, although Paul wasn't landing punches freely.
He dominated the fourth round as Tyson struggled to respond. Netflix unofficially scored the fight level at the halfway point, but in reality, Paul was pulling ahead.
However, he seemed to be holding back, limiting himself to single shots, though a right hand did give Tyson something to think about before he retaliated with a punch of his own. Paul, who had bulked up from cruiserweight, appeared to struggle with the extra weight, leading to a lacklustre sixth round that left the crowd restless.
In the penultimate session, Paul increased his intensity but still seemed hesitant to fully commit. A four-punch combination landed at the end of the round, but Tyson took it well.
Paul managed to land two hits on Tyson at the start of the final round, but the veteran fighter retaliated. The fight ended without a late surge from either side and went to the judges who awarded Paul a hollow victory with scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.
In the undercard, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano delivered another Fight of the Year contender which was narrowly won by the Irish star by a single point. Taylor had previously won their first encounter in New York two years ago via a split-decision, but it took almost three years for the rivals to agree to a rematch.
The rematch lived up to expectations, with Taylor being deducted a point before being declared the winner with a score of 95-94 from each of the three judges. Mario Barrios managed to retain his welterweight world title after recovering from a sixth-round knockdown to force a draw with Abel Ramos.
Barrios dominated from the start, staggering his opponent in the first round and knocking him down in the second. However, he found himself on the canvas just before the halfway mark after taking successive right punches.
Barrios made it to the end of the round and a closely contested second half of the fight resulted in the three judges unable to separate the two fighters, announcing scores of 112-114, 116-110, 113-113.
The main card kicked off with a win for Neeraj Goyat, who outscored Brazilian social media sensation Whindersson Nunes over six rounds. Despite dominating from the start, Goyat, who has repeatedly challenged Paul to a fight, lacked the power to knock out his less experienced opponent who has been active in the influencer boxing circuit.
Shadasia Green claimed the world champion title on her second attempt by outscoring Melinda Watpool, while Lucas Bahdi's victory over Armando Casamonica was somewhat contentious. Casamonica, who stepped in at the last minute to replace the injured Corey Marksman, put up an impressive fight against Bahdi.
In the night's opening bout, Bruce Carrington had to settle for a points victory over Dana Coolwell.