Jake Paul’s Fight Against Mike Tyson Sparks ‘Scripted’ Controversy After Post-Fight Admission

Jake Paul’s highly anticipated boxing match against Mike Tyson has left fans questioning its authenticity after the YouTuber’s shock post-fight admission.

The eight-round about, held at the AT&T Stadium in Texas and streamed on Netflix, was scored in favour of Paul, with judges’ scores of 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.

However, Tyson, who is 58 years old, appeared to struggle throughout the fight, showing signs of age and being visibly hurt.

Mike Tyson failed to land a single punch in two of the eight rounds (Picture: Getty)

Paul notably eased off as the match progressed, choosing not to land the knockout blow that many feared was imminent. Despite his visible fatigue, Tyson managed to make it to the end of the fight, maintaining his dignity in the process. However, fans were left unimpressed when Paul revealed that he had intentionally pulled back in the later rounds of the fight.

When asked if he had eased off during the final rounds, Paul admitted, “Yeah, definitely a bit. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone who didn’t need to be hurt.”

He further explained that Tyson’s age was becoming apparent as the fight continued, noting that Tyson stopped engaging as the rounds passed. “When someone’s just surviving in the ring, it’s hard to make it exciting,” Paul added. “I don’t care what people have to say. It is what it is.”

Paul’s apparent sportsmanship was met with mixed reactions, with some fans suggesting the fight was “scripted.” One fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Some will say it was all scripted,” while another added, “The match was scripted.

Mike Tyson may well have fought for the final time (Picture: Getty)

Jake bowing down in front of Mike during the fight exposed the setup.” A third fan criticised the event, saying, “Netflix fumbled their live sport’s debut by scamming us with a scripted Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight and cashing in millions?”

Many also expressed dismay at the exploitation of the 58-year-old boxing legend. One fan commented, “Exploiting a 58-year-old legend just to excite your platform is disrespectful. Tyson deserves better.” Despite the controversy, the event still drew attention, with critics questioning whether the fight was as competitive as it was billed.