The drama surrounding the highly anticipated Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight on Friday night has reached a fever peak. Despite whispers that this fight between the 27-year-old YouTube sensation and 58-year-old grandfather Iron Mike Tyson is more theater and a reality TV kind of revenue-generating ploy, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions are expected to tune into Netflix to catch this one-time-only moment in entertainment and boxing history.
The fight is a sanctioned fight, so it will count on each fighter’s professional record and Tyson told everyone months ago he wasn’t trying to use head gear, despite warnings that he could be leaving himself open to a traumatic brain injury. Some people have gone as far as to say that the results are already predetermined.
Carl Froch Said Tyson Fight Is Fixed: Jake Paul’s Business Partner Disputes Claims
Jake Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian has struck back at critics who insist the bout is a “fix.”
Boxing fans have been sharing various conspiracy theories about Friday’s fight and former world champion Carl Froch didn’t pull any punches when he insisted that the fight is already fixed, which of course could affect the interest in the fight if people think Paul is getting a reported $40 million and Tyson $20 million for an eight-round acting performance.
“I’ve heard and believe that there is something in the contract which means Tyson can’t even try and hurt him,” Froch told the Metro.
“I’m sure if Tyson did land a big left or right hook on the chin of Jake Paul then he could render him unconscious,” he added.
Froch has repeated the narrative that many fans, boxers and boxing experts have expressed on social media and boxing shows, that if Paul gets hit flush, he would be a body. Froch suggests that language within the contract ensures that Tyson doesn’t go for any kill shots. If true, expect plenty of dancing around on both sides followed by light flurries of engagement.
Bidarian has insisted everything is on the up and up and if the fight was illegally fixed, Paul would be facing jail time.
Speaking to ESPN, Bidarian, owner of boxing promotions company Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, said:
“These are pro fights that consumers are making legal bets on.
“I don’t think the critic who says these are not real fights thinks about [how] there would be jail time if we actually did this type of stuff.
“We have never, and we will never, do anything that’s other than above board and 100 per cent a pro fight unless we come out clearly and say, ‘Hey, this is an exhibition fight that is a show.’”
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul Face to Face With Cam’Ron Mediating
When Paul laces his gloves up against one of the legendary pugilists of our time at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, both camps insist this is on the up and up.
Both fighters are taking a great risk. Tyson has not had a sanctioned pro fight since 2005 and Paul has faced just one pro boxer, Tommy Fury, in his 11 fights, and he lost to him. Regardless of who wins, there will be people who accuse both fighters of being involved in a scripted exhibition sold as a real fight.
When watching the videos of both fighters training over the past months, both look serious. Paul says “it was already written” that he will knock Mike Tyson out. In response, Tyson said “It’s not going to be an easy night for you.”
In a “Face 2 Face” interview hosted by rapper and podcast host Cam’Ron, Paul said, “It will be the biggest moment in boxing history, when I put this man to sleep.”
Tyson responded, saying, “He dreams a lot, this is not going to come true young man.”
Both fighters have sold this fight to perfection, and podcasters and media have done its job choosing what side they want to ride with.
Boxing Fans Want To See A Real Fight and A Tyson Knockout
On the “Patrick and the People” podcast, Patrick and a female host who were pro-Tyson had this exchange:
“Man I want to see him just catch em’ with that uppercut and clock those Jake Paul teeth out,” Patrick said.
“Man…Man…bust those veneers. I want airline cracks in those teeth,” she responded.
“Yeah man I want airline cracks in those teeth,” he added. “I want him to have to go to the dentist.”
His co-host concluded with: “Wire his jaw shut for a little bit.”
Will Tyson vs Paul Be A Real Boxing Match?: Here’s The Key To Victory
Everyone is banking on a real fight, but history and a hunch tells us there’s a great chance we could be disappointed. I wouldn’t expect it to go the full eight rounds. That’s probably Paul’s strategy. Stay away from fierce blows by Tyson, who will be looking to end it early, and drag it past four or five rounds, tiring the 58-year-old out. We don’t know about the small print on the contracts that Froch referenced, but we do know it benefits boxing and everybody else for this fight to be exciting and end with somebody lying on the canvas. There are more than a few people who hope it’s Jake Paul.
