Such was the clamour to watch this ‘fight’, between a 58-year-old man and a YouTuber 31 years his junior, that many viewers experienced Netflix outages just as it was about to commence.
Unfortunately, transmission resumed once it got under way.
Jake Paul earned a unanimous points decision (80-72, 79-73, 79-73) in a contest that went the entire eight rounds, but it’s still unclear who the real winner was.
Was it Tyson, once considered “the Baddest Man on the Planet”, for being able to go the distance with someone less than half his age? Was it Paul, who now boasts a win over Tyson, albeit when “Iron” Mike is a shadow of his former self, on his curriculum vitae?
Or is it Netflix, for being able to draw the eyeballs of tens of millions of viewers worldwide as the lines between sport and entertainment are further blurred?
The winner certainly wasn’t boxing.
Like many, I was unable to avert my eyes. The bookmakers installed Paul as the overwhelming favourite and he duly delivered, keeping Tyson at bay with a stiff jab and his superior condition.
Boxer Jake Paul receives a punch from Mike Tyson during their heavyweight bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Credit: Getty Images
Such was his control that in the final rounds it was unclear whether “El Gallo” was carrying Tyson to the end or fearful of avoiding one, last devastating blow from one of the most mythologised heavyweights of them all.
Paul needn’t have worried. Tyson was spent by the third round and a restless crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas quickly realised the underdog they were cheering was doomed.
Very early on in my journalistic career, a wise editor once told me, “Nobody wants to read about the plane that landed.”
This was indeed a plane crash, but not the type that we had hoped for.
Every part of this production was packaged and cross-promoted. There was a performance from the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, also the subject of a Netflix documentary.
There was the hyperbole of the commentary team in the build-up, promising that “It’s time for Netflix and thrill.” There were advertisements for a new movie featuring Cameron Diaz, one that will undoubtedly appear on said streaming platform.
But what we didn’t see was a contest.
Tyson would have disposed of Paul in microseconds in his pomp. Neither of them, at this point of their professional careers, resembles a genuine contender. Once the youngest heavyweight champion of the world, Tyson moved like he had been sampling the cannabis products he now spruiks.
For much of the bout he had the munchies, constantly chomping on his gloves.
“I have a biting fixation,” said the man who once bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear.
This was an unedifying way to end a storied career, yet it may not be the end.
Asked if he would now retire, the former champ replied “I don’t think so”, flagging the prospect of taking on Paul’s brother, Logan.
If it were to transpire, it would be a very hard sell, even for someone as good at it as Jake or Logan Paul.
