Mike Tyson’s much-anticipated return to boxing ended in a lopsided defeat at the hands of YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul on Friday night (Saturday in Manila). The match, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, saw Paul secure victory by unanimous decision, with scorecards reading 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.
Tyson, 58, struggled to keep up with Paul’s superior speed and agility throughout the eight-round bout. The 27-year-old Paul took control early on, causing trouble for the heavyweight legend with a barrage of punches in the third round. Despite his pre-fight promise of a knockout, Paul was unable to deliver the decisive blow.
Tyson, showing his age in the ring, landed only a few impactful punches, connecting on just 18 of the 97 punches he threw. In comparison, Paul threw 278 punches and landed 78 of them. As the final seconds ticked down, Paul even took a moment to bow in respect to Tyson before the final bell rang.
