In a much-anticipated match that drew over 70,000 spectators to the home of the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, the only clear winner was the unceasing march of time.
Former YouTube star Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson by unanimous decision in an eight-round bout that seemed over well before the final bell.
The 58-year-old Tyson seemed sluggish in his first fight in nearly 20 years. Known in his prime for his decisive and quick victories by knockout, it was clear that Tyson didn't quite have the stamina for 16 full minutes of boxing.
The 27-year-old Paul merely had to withstand an intense burst of activity from the former undisputed heavyweight champ in the second round, then outlast the visibly winded Tyson. In the waning moments of the final round, Paul dropped his gloves and bowed to Tyson. The judges awarded Paul the win by a score of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73. The loss was only Tyson's seventh in his career, bringing his overall record to 50-7. Paul's record improved to 11-1.
Paul threw nearly three times as many punches as Tyson throughout the match. The consummate heel landed 78 punches throughout the match compared to Tyson's 18. Despite the lack of sparks in their Netflix fight, both boxers were looking forward to their next match.
Paul called out Mexican super middleweight Canelo Álvarez, asking for a match that is extremely unlikely to happen given the boxers' relative stature in the sport.
"Everyone is next on the list," Paul said, per ESPN. "Canelo needs me. I'm not even going to call him out. He needs a payday. He knows where the money man is at."
Tyson was non-committal on whether this loss would be his last fight.
"It depends on the situation," he said before joking that he'd fight Paul's professional wrestler brother Logan.
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