On Nov. 15, the world was shook. At the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the judges declared Jake Paul the winner in his long-awaited bout against Mike Tyson. Paul raked in a staggering $40 million, while his rival Tyson walked away with an impressive $20 million—proof that their clash was as profitable as it was fierce. Although this fight may have seemed professional to some, many Cubs believe that the match itself was rigged.
First off, there was a significant age difference between the two boxers. 27-year-old Paul fought the almost 60-year-old Tyson, easily giving Paul a competitive edge. Avid Tyson fan Aiden Chang ‘27 remarked, “Tyson could barely move around the ring, much less knockout Paul. Of course Jake won because he’s younger and faster. I mean, who expects a 60-year-old man to beat a 30-year-old dude? The fight was simply for the big bucks.”
In addition, public internet videos of Tyson training had been uploaded prior to the fight, including him viciously throwing punches and dodging quick jabs with fast footwork, which is reminiscent of his prime self. Fans saw this and asked, where was this Tyson at the fight? Furthermore, Paul, with only six years of experience under his belt, faced off against the legendary Tyson whose decorated career spanned over two decades.
While Tyson had been retired for 19 years, his 14 extra years of experience had a significant presence. Although some fans may think that it’s possible that Paul could have won even with less experience, Jayden Peña ‘27 does not consider Jake Paul to be the boxing prodigy people glorify him to be: “The fact that Paul won is highly unlikely, being that he is drastically less experienced than Tyson. I get that Jake is very young and Tyson is basically a senior citizen, but someone doesn’t just lose 20 years of experience like it seemed Tyson did during the fight.”
Tyson’s past wins and remarkable career history are enough to show that he was more than capable of winning the match. However, this does not mean that Paul is a bad or unworthy boxer, but he is seen as no match for the great Tyson, even with Paul being at his top-tier condition. The idea of an almost 60-year-old Tyson with decades in the ring falling to a relative newcomer like Paul feels less like an upset and more like a setup.
