This past Friday, viewers were finally able to witness one of the biggest entries on the 2024 TV schedule – Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. Anyone with a Netflix subscription who watched was able to see the 27-year-old Paul defeat the 58-year-old Tyson by unanimous decision. “Iron Mike” had quite a few people in his corner, including basketball hall of famer Shaquille O’Neal. In fact, I just found out Shaq lost quite a bit of money by betting on Tyson. Yet that significant loss of cheddar didn’t stop the former athlete from hanging with Paul after the fight.
What Did Shaq Say About How Much He Bet On The Paul/Tyson Fight?
Some may be aware that Inside the NBA’s Charles Barkley is a gambler, and doesn’t care what people think about his hobby. Though he apparently doesn’t put down cash on the table like his co-star does, Shaq has put down his share of bets in his time as well. Before Paul vs. Tyson, “The Diesel” popped up on The Dan Patrick Show to discuss a few topics. Talk eventually turned to the highly promoted bout, which Shaq was sure Tyson would win. He also revealed that he bet a reasonably hefty on the fight:
[I’m betting] a lot. … One million pennies.
For those who need an exact figure after checking out the comments shared in the YouTube video, “one million pennies” equals $10,000. That was definitely quite a bit of cash to throw down, especially when you think about a fight as unique as this one was. I suppose you have to appreciate the confidence that the four-time NBA champion had. Plus, in all fairness, Mike Tyson did look solid during the early fight workouts, and Tyson’s early training videos showed that he was in solid shape as well. So even though he experienced the ulcer flare-up in May that delayed the fight, there was still reason to believe that the former Heavyweight Champion of the World would emerge victorious.
Ultimately, that just wasn’t the case, though, and Shaquille O’Neal is out of a lot of money as a result. I’d personally feel a way if I’d lost all of those “pennies,” though the former Los Angeles Laker didn’t seem too disappointed. Well, that’s the impression one gets based on a social media post that dropped sometime after the fight.
Shaquille O’Neal Partied After The Big Fight
The ever-trolling Jake Paul seemed to enjoy himself following his in-ring victory a few nights ago. He took to his Instagram stories to share a few posts of his afterparty and more. One post, which was shared the other evening, features a video that shows Shaq jamming on stage. The ex-NBA player is a DJ and, in the clip, he performs in front of a giant audience. You can check out a screenshot from the high-energy jam session below:
If Shaq was unhappy with losing all of that money on the fight, then he certainly wasn’t showing it during that particular night. He is, after all, someone who does enjoy a good party, so I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised by his post-match activities. Still, I’d be feeling a way if I were in his shoes, given I’d just lost so much money.
Despite my feelings, I do have to remember that Shaquille O’Neal is rich, so I suppose that for someone like him, 10K could just be a drop in the bucket. Still, I wonder if the former NBA center might be so inclined to place a similar bet anytime soon. We can only speculate on that front, but best believe that I’m going to continue holding off on betting any of my cash on fights.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is now available to stream on Netflix, so tune in if you’re still eager to see exactly how the fight panned out.
