Jake Paul: ‘I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt’

Mike Tyson was game, but at 58, there was only so much you could do. Jake Paul dominated the action from start to finish and defeated Tyson (50-7, 44 KOs) by unanimous decision in front of 70-plus thousand fans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX(Netflix).

One judge had it 80-72, and two other judges scored the fight 79-73.

This was Tyson’s first sanctioned bout since 2005. The heavyweight matchup was contested over eight two-minute rounds with 14oz. Gloves.

The 27-year-old Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) could have ended the night early if he stepped on the gas. According to Compubox, Tyson landed only 18 of his 97 punches, while Paul landed 78 of his 278 punches.

Paul said he wanted to make an exciting fight, but it takes two to tango.

“I tried to give the best fight I possibly could, but when someone’s just surviving in the ring, basically, it’s hard to make it exciting,” he said. “So I couldn’t really get him to engage me or slip shots and do something super cool or whatever, but I don’t care about what people have to say. They’re always going to have something to say, and that it is what it is.”

Tyson was a shell of his former self, and Paul acknowledged that he did hold back.

“Yeah, definitely. Definitely a bit,” Paul said. “I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”

Tyson did not rule out the possibility of fighting again, and he even called out Paul’s brother, Logan, but based on this performance, unless it’s an exhibition, it’s probably not a fight that should happen.

It was a star-studded event that brought out Evander Holyfield, Shaquille O’Neal, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jerry Jones, Charlize Theron, Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Josh Duhamel, Joe Jonas, Lennox Lewis, Rob Gronkowski.

While the main event could have been better, it was a massive financial success. According to MVP Promotions, Paul-Tyson was the biggest boxing gate outside of Las Vegas in US history.  In addition, Paul-Tyson gate has surpassed $18 million, double the previous Texas gate record for combat sports in boxing and MMA.

In other action:

With the WBC welterweight title on the line,  Mario “El Azteca” Barrios  (29-2-1, 18 KOs) squared off against Abel Ramos (28-6-3, 22 KOs) in a thrilling action-packed bout, featuring a knockdown from Ramos in round two and Barrios in round six. After a momentous match-up, Barrios fought to a 12-round split decision draw (114-112, 116-110, 113-113) allowing him to retain his WBC welterweight title.

Opening the main card, India’s #1 boxer and MVP’s first international signee Neeraj Goyat (19-4-2, 8 KOs) faced off with Whindersson Nunes (2-3-1 combined boxing record). Goyat delivered a dominant performance, securing a sensational unanimous decision victory (59-55, 60-54 x 2) over Nunes, who was making his professional debut against Goyat.

MVP’s Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (15-1, 11 KOs) captured the WBO super middleweight title in a hard-fought 10-round women’s championship battle, defeating Melinda “The Whip” Watpool (7-1, 2 KO) by split decision (97-93, 96-94 Watpool, 94-96). Green’s determination and resilience shone through as she overcame a tough challenge to claim the belt and solidify her place among the best in her weight class.

Lucas “Prince” Bahdi (18-0, 15 KOs) secured a majority decision (95-95, 96-93, 98-92) victory over Armando Casamonica (14-1, 3 KOs) in a closely contested 10-round super lightweight bout. Bahdi followed up his knockout-of-the-year contender win, with a hard-fought battle against the dangerous Casamonica, further cementing his reputation as a rising force in the division.

Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington Jr. (14-0, 8 KOs) showcased his dominance as an upcoming title contender in the sport during an eight-round featherweight clash to begin the evening, earning a unanimous decision (80-70 x3) victory over Australia’s Dana “Deadly” Coolwell (13-3, 8 KOs). Carrington’s relentless pressure, technical precision, and ability to control the pace highlighted his exceptional skillset, as he outclassed Coolwell from start to finish. With this commanding performance, Carrington remains undefeated and solidifies his reputation as one of the sport’s most promising rising stars.