Was the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight rigged? Promoter punches back at ‘baseless claims’
This story has been updated with a statement from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.
Jake Paul is punching back at anyone suggesting the boxing match between Mike Tyson and the former YouTube star earlier this month was in any way rigged.
Most Valuable Promotions, the company founded by Paul that promoted the fight, issued a statement Monday blasting “the wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event.” It comes on the heels of Paul having to address the allegations himself last week.
“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,” the statement from Most Valuable Promotions read. “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.”
Questions concerning the legitimacy of the fight were raised throughout the lead-up to the event considering the age difference between the 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul. They persisted once Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision in a match that went the full eight rounds. Oscar de la Hoya and Joe Rogan are among the notable figures to insinuate the fight was either scripted or not real since its conclusion.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations sanctioned the Nov. 15 match, although Paul and Tyson agreed to adjusted rules that included heavier gloves and shorter rounds. MVP insisted in its statement Monday that all the proper regulations were followed and “both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.”
A TDLR spokesperson wrote in an email to USA TODAY last week that the sanctioning body had “no reason to believe that the fight was manipulated.” TDLR confirmed on Monday that it had not filed a complaint regarding the bout between Paul and Tyson.
Paul also denied allegations that the fight was rigged during a recent interview on a podcast hosted by his brother, Logan Paul.
“People are like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s rigged because look at him on the pads, but he didn’t do this in the fight.’ Because someone is … punching back,” Paul said on the podcast. “… People don’t realize my power, and my jab and my speed and my ability, and my footwork to get out of the way of those punches, so then all of a sudden he’s throwing at, literally, air.”
Paul has forged a successful boxing career through an unorthodox route, using his fame on YouTube to become one of the sport’s mainstream stars. He improved to 11-1 overall since 2020 with his win over Tyson.
Though Paul vs. Tyson fight had plenty of critics and endured significant technical issues with its streaming-only broadcast on Netflix, MVP claimed in a previous statement that the event’s gate of $18.1 million is the the biggest for any boxing or MMA event outside of Las Vegas in U.S. history.
“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,” said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s manager and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, in a statement. “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.”
-USA TODAY Sports reporter Josh Peter contributed to this story.
