(CNN)- Jake Paul defeated former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson by unanimous decision in their highly anticipated professional bout this Friday night in Arlington, Texas.
In front of 72,300 fans at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, Paul controlled most of the fight, winning, after all three judges gave him the victory with scores of 80–72, 79–73, and 79–73. of.
With the win, Paul improved his professional record to 11–1, including seven knockouts, and became the sixth boxer to defeat the Hall of Famer.
“First and foremost, Mike Tyson, it’s an honor,” Paul said after the fight. “He’s the greatest (GOAT) of all time.” I admire him, he inspires me and we wouldn’t be here without him. “This guy is an icon and it’s an honor to fight with him.”
The first round was fairly calm, as both boxers became accustomed to each other’s fighting style.
Tyson, who had not fought professionally in 19 years, became aggressive in the third round, coming forward with hard punches and tagging Paul in the opening moments.
However, Paul responded several moments later, catching Tyson with several well-struck punches that appeared to stagger the former heavyweight champion.
The 58-year-old started showing signs of fatigue for the first time during the fight and became immobile. He never showed explosive progress with fast movements, dodges or powerful punches, which earned him 44 knockouts.
Roy Jones Jr., whom Tyson last faced in an exhibition in November 2020, was on the broadcast panel and commented on Tyson’s lack of action. “I don’t like Mike’s feet. “I don’t like Mike’s feet at all.”
Paul continued to control the fight, landing his combinations and causing Tyson problems with his jabs. Tyson showed bursts of energy in the later rounds, but never managed to become a real threat.
The pair were originally scheduled to fight in July this year, but it was postponed after Tyson suffered an ulcer during a flight.
After the fight, Tyson was asked if he felt he had shown the world that he could still play full time despite his age.
“I don’t prove anything to anyone, only myself. I’m not one of those people who want to please the world. “I’m happy with what I can do,” Tyson said.
In his professional career, Tyson was known for his brutal knockouts, winning in spectacular fashion against legends such as Michael Spinks and Larry Holmes. His last professional win was in February 2003, when he defeated Clifford Etienne by first-round knockout. His last fight was an exhibition match against Jones Jr. in November 2020, which ended in a draw.
This Friday’s fight was perhaps Paul’s most relevant fight to date, given his unconventional introduction to boxing, which he said began “as a big YouTube extravaganza” of people challenging him and his brother Logan. Started.
In January 2020, Paul entered the ring for his first professional fight, and defeated YouTuber Ali Eson Gibb by technical knockout. Since his debut, he has defeated former basketball player Nate
Robinson and retired MMA veterans Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.
In February last year, Paul suffered his first defeat at the hands of Tommy Fury, younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Paul bounced back from the loss with a unanimous decision win over former UFC fighter Diaz. In his last fights he defeated professional boxers Andre August and Ryan
Body language expert says Tyson Fury’s ‘extremely scary’ body language acted as a ‘red flag’ to his chances of defeating Usyk.
Borland, as well as bare-knuckle boxing champion Mike Perry.
This Friday’s fight was perhaps Paul’s most relevant fight to date, given his unconventional introduction to boxing, which he said began “as a big YouTube extravaganza” of people challenging him and his brother Logan. Started.
In January 2020, Paul entered the ring for his first professional fight, and defeated YouTuber Ali Eson Gibb by technical knockout. Since his debut, he has defeated former basketball player Nate
Robinson and retired MMA veterans Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.
In February last year, Paul suffered his first defeat at the hands of Tommy Fury, younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Paul bounced back from the loss with a unanimous decision win over former UFC fighter Diaz. In his last fights he defeated professional boxers Andre August and Ryan
Borland, as well as bare-knuckle boxing champion Mike Perry.
Friday Night Fights was Netflix’s first live boxing event, featuring seven action-packed bouts.
However, viewers on social media reported overnight that they had problems watching the program on the streaming platform. Some issues included buffering delays, stutters, and difficulties loading battles.
According to Downdetector, about 90,000 users reported the crash an hour before the fight.
Some users posted photos of their frozen TV screens, while others showed a spinning loading icon indicating they had to reload the app to watch the event.
Another reported problem was the sound of the broadcast, particularly during an interview with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. While speaking with other analysts, Jones’ microphone malfunctioned, making it difficult for the audience to hear his comments.
Netflix declined to comment on the issues.
“It’s the greatest thing to happen,” Paul said of the fight’s success. “There are over 120 million people on Netflix. We demolished the site.”
The streaming platform will soon air two NFL games on Christmas Day after signing a three-season deal with the league. Starting in 2025, WWE’s weekly “Raw” show will also be presented on the platform.
In the co-main event, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano experienced the second installment of the confrontation. When Taylor was declared the winner by unanimous decision the crowd and commentators reacted with disbelief and jeers.
The two fighters put on a masterclass, with Serrano being the aggressor and Taylor moving forward with powerful punches, causing the challenger’s head to break on several occasions. In the eighth round, the champion was penalized a point after his fourth allowed headbutt.
Serrano seemed in control and was stunned by the decision. After the fight, Serrano called Taylor a “dirty fighter”. According to Compubox, Serrano landed 324 more punches compared to 217 more than the champion.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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