Paul vs. Tyson: Was the fight rigged? The promoter says those claims are ‘illogical’ and ‘incorrect and baseless’
The fight shattered the gate record for a combat fight in the state of Texas.
DALLAS — It broke records in the Lone Star State – an $18 million official gate at AT&T Stadium, more than doubling the previous high.
Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson.
Paul and Tyson duked it out live on Netflix – albeit with massive streaming issues that led to a class action lawsuit in Florida – as the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Paul, 27, dominated the iconic former heavyweight champion, who is notably 58 years old.
Many of those who complained about the quality of the stream online also turned to another thought to cut down the fight’s legitimacy: Was it rigged for Paul?
In a statement released Monday by Most Valuable Promotions, which Paul co-owns, called claims that the fight was rigged “incorrect and baseless.”
Here is the full statement released by MVP on Monday:
“Following the wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) would like to set the record straight regarding the contractual agreements and the nature of the fight.
Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.
Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.
It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer—an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson—would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”
The other co-founder of MVP, Nakisa Bidarian, added this to the statement released Monday:
“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way. From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities—unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time. Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves. This event, which broke attendance and viewership milestones for a professional sporting event, is yet another example of his ability to deliver on the biggest stage. As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who try to discredit his achievements. We embrace the doubt—it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”
According to MVP, 60 million households tuned in live to watch the main event and nearly 50 million watched Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, likely etching them as the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in U.S. history. Paul vs. Tyson peaked at 65 million concurrent streams worldwide.
And due to Texas law, both fighters must remain “suspended” from boxing for 24 days – three days per round fought (eight rounds). This is for the safety of the fighters to ensure they give themselves time to rest before competing again.
