Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson in blockbuster bout

Jake Paul defeated boxing legend Mike Tyson in a highly anticipated heavyweight match on Friday in Texas, winning by unanimous decision. Despite the hype, the bout fell short of expectations, with Tyson struggling to keep up with his younger opponent.

The 27-year-old Paul, a social media star turned boxer, faced the 58-year-old Tyson at a sold-out AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The fight, streamed live on Netflix, attracted 72,300 fans but left many disappointed as Tyson, showing his age, could only land 18 punches compared to Paul’s 78.

After the fight, Paul expressed his respect for Tyson. “It’s an honor to share the ring with Mike Tyson. It was just as tough as I expected,” he said.

Tyson, wearing a knee brace, admitted to fighting through a leg injury but refused to use it as an excuse. “I knew Jake was prepared. I came to fight and did my best. I’m happy with what I could do,” he said. When asked if he’d fight again, the former champion was uncertain, saying, “It depends on the situation.”

For Tyson, this was his first professional fight in nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, Paul improved his record to 11-1 and hinted at even bigger challenges ahead, possibly including Canelo Alvarez.

“This was the biggest event ever streamed on Netflix, with over 120 million viewers,” Paul said. “We broke records with a $20 million gate, the largest in U.S. boxing history. Anyone can be next.”

Earlier in the evening, Katie Taylor defended her super lightweight title against Amanda Serrano in a fierce co-main event. Taylor won by a controversial unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 95-94.

The fight turned messy early, as the fighters clashed heads, leaving Serrano with a deep cut above her eye. The referee deducted a point from Taylor for headbutting, but she denied accusations of dirty fighting.

Taylor, who also beat Serrano in their first fight in 2022 at Madison Square Garden, confirmed a third matchup is on the horizon.