In the 1980s into the 90s, Mike Tyson was either the most intimidating man alive or the biggest con man bully the fight game has ever seen.
Take your pick. He wasn’t someone you wanted to deal with. Most didn’t, which is why Tyson’s fights used to be won before a punch was thrown.
Mike Tyson was NOT allowed to throw UPPERCUTS!
🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/MjCX5awKal
— In2ThinAir (@In2ThinAir) November 18, 2024
Fast-forward some three decades later, Tyson ain’t that man no more. He hasn’t been for a long time.
We’ve wanted to believe that that fear-striking killer still lives somewhere in Tyson. But it doesn’t, and we saw as much in between Netflix’s buffering streaming broadcast of the Tyson-Jake Paul show (because it can’t be described as a boxing match).
So we still flocked to our televisions waiting for a man with an AARP card to thrill us. It never happened.
Mike Tyson, 58, looked well past his prime much of the night against Jake Paul. Credit: Getty.
Tyson, 58, looked like a caricature of himself: a punch-drunk, weirdly nice guy who tries his best to convince us that mean streak is still in him. Paul, who is less than half Tyson’s age, is just a social media personality masquerading as a boxer who wisely avoids real fighters.
Tyson had us all fooled for the first two rounds of their match, showing hints of the aggressiveness that once made him the unquestioned Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the universe. Then he was simply a punching bag for Paul, who hit Tyson at will but without any ill intent.
The pre-fight slap Mike Tyson delivered to Jake Paul might have been the best blow he landed in their exhibition. Credit: Getty.
The undercard fights were far more exciting, with the most memorable moments connected to the main event coming during the pre-fight slap and Tyson showing his ass – literally.
Many felt like this fight was thrown or at least scripted. I’m on the side of the latter because Tyson never really came for Paul. He never attempted his signature jab to the ribs followed by that devastating uppercut.
We watched the training videos leading up to the fight, so we know that Tyson is still there, but he never showed up at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
If there was a flex, it was that Tyson walked away with what is believed to be $20 million for a harmless night’s work.
