Social media star Jake Paul defeated legendary boxer Mike Tyson via unanimous decision at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in one of the most unlikely matchups in the sport’s history.
Paul, 27, a social media star with more than 27 million Instagram followers and nearly 21 million YouTube subscribers, cruised in the bout. After a first round that saw Tyson aggressive, his age caught up to him. Tyson appeared slow for most of the fight and barely landed any significant punches. His offensive output dropped considerably from the mid-rounds on. The much younger Paul peppered his opponent with jabs and hooks throughout the bout while taking little damage. Paul made his professional debut in 2020. He has wins that include former UFC stars Ben Askren, Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz and Mike Perry. His lone loss is a split decision last year against boxer Tommy Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Tyson, 58, is known as one of the best — and most intimidating — boxers ever. He opened his professional career with 19 straight finishes, 12 of which came in the first round. He later knocked out Trevor Berbick at the age of 20 to become the youngest heavyweight champion ever. Tyson reigned over the division from 1987 to 1990, claiming and retaining the WBA, WBC, and IBF belts en route to a 37-0 start.
All three judges ruled the fight in favor of Paul, with scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73. The win improves Paul’s professional record to 11-1 while dropping Tyson to 50-7.