A lot of viewers were struggling to watch Tyson vs. Paul with their Netflix subscriptions the night of the fight due to tech issues. However, the bout has more recently been a topic of discussion for another reason. In the aftermath of Paul's decisive win over the boxing legend, many have suggested and even shared clips suggesting that the fight was rigged or scripted so the younger fighter would win. As talk about this continues, the fight organization responsible for the event shared a statement.
Most Valuable Promotions hopes to be a part of the live sports entertainment space and provide more must-see events for the 2025 TV schedule. As it prepares to do that, it seems the organization has taken offense to suggestions that Paul v. Tyson was handled similarly to a WWE match than an actual boxing event. Amidst claims that Tyson held back or was contractually obligated not to knock out Jake Paul, the company released the following message:
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.
Via the statement Most Valuable Promotions went on to say that it would not risk its reputation and ability to work on more events in the future by rigging a match against the rules stated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations. Doing so would land them in a lot of trouble, especially with how much legitimate money that celebrities (including Shaquille O'Neal) lost in the fight.
It could be argued that MVP has a vested interest in protecting Jake Paul's reputation, as the young fighter has aspirations for another big fight after beating Mike Tyson. Co-founder of the company, Nakisa Bidarian, spoke out specifically in Paul's defense, noting that this has happened all throughout the boxer's career:
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.
While there have been accusations made across the Internet about the fight supposedly being rigged, Jake Paul has faced similar complaints with his past fights. When it came to this latest bout, Mike Tyson was still regarded as a legend of the boxing world, but he was thirty years older than his opponent at the time of the fight and had a notable reach disadvantage. Earlier this year, Tyson also suffered a medical event on a plane, which forced the match to be rescheduled to later in the year.
Before this fight, Jake Paul challenged older former UFC champions and other professional fighters with the caveat that they would only take him on in a boxing bout. Generally speaking, while there are notable strikers in the UFC, removing their ability to set up shots with their legs and various takedowns drastically hampers their ability in a standard boxing match. While a fighter like Ben Askren was surprised he lost, other professionals in the fighting world could see Paul had a clear advantage.
The truth is that even though he's defeated Mike Tyson, Jake Paul still has an uphill battle to prove he's a legitimate professional fighter worthy of serious praise in the boxing world. The bout did get him the spotlight he needed for that next step, but it remains to be seen if he'll challenge an actual boxing contemporary of similar size and age. If another stunt match is lined up, one has to wonder what interest there will be from Netflix and others to see what could be another lopsided fight, especially considering the accusations of rigging and staging.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is available to stream on Netflix now. All the while, I'm curious to see what Jake Paul will do for his next fight and if Mike Tyson is officially done with boxing.
