Social media influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul defeated former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson via unanimous decision in their highly anticipated professional bout on Friday night in Arlington, Texas.
Fighting in front of 72,300 fans at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Paul controlled most of the fight against Tyson, winning via unanimous decision to become the sixth fighter to defeat the former heavyweight champion in his career.
With the victory, Paul improves to 11-1 in his professional career, including seven knockouts, further cementing himself as a valid competitor in the sport.
“First and foremost, Mike Tyson, it’s such an honour,” Paul told Tyson after the match. “He’s the G.O.A.T. I look up to him, I’m inspired by him, and we wouldn’t be here today without him. This man is an icon, and it’s just an honour to be able to fight him.”
The opening rounds were fairly tame as the two boxers got acclimated to each other’s fight styles.
Tyson came out aggressively in the third round, clipping Paul early. However, Paul responded several moments later, catching Tyson with several well-thrown punches, appearing to rock the former heavyweight champion.
The 58-year-old also started to show signs of fatigue for the first time in the match.
Paul continued to take control of the fight from there, landing his combinations and giving Tyson trouble with his jabs. Tyson showed bursts of energy throughout the later rounds but never proved to be a real threat.
Tyson was asked after the fight if he felt like he had proved to the world that he could go the distance despite his age.
“I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself. I’m not one of those guys that looks to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do,” Tyson said.
Source: cnn.com
