In today’s world, 10 days is like 10 years. And so the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight from November 15 had become a fading memory.
A bad memory, but fading nonetheless.
But, wait. Just as we were forgetting all about it, Most Valuable Promotions has decided to pick at the two-sided scab arising from actual or perceived problems with the event. One, the viewing experience on Netflix stunk for many. Second, it felt like Paul could have destroyed the 58-year-old Tyson, but decided instead to carry him through eight two-minute rounds. (That said, some have suggested Tyson was told to back off after getting the better of the fight in the early rounds.)
MVP has issued a statement angrily denying suggestions that the fight lacked integrity.
“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,” the statement begins.
“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.
“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.
“It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer — an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson — would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”
The release also included a quote from Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP: “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.”
That quote makes it sound as if the speculation centers on Tyson not unleashing hell on Paul. But it was Paul who admitted after the fight that he went easy on Tyson.
Asked whether he took his foot off the gas in round three, Paul said this in the post-game press conference: “Yeah, definitely. Definitely a bit. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
There’s the smoking gun, straight from Paul’s mouth. He could have knocked Tyson out (and many placed legal wagers that he would) but Paul specifically decided to hold back. That dynamic might account for the portion of the release that says "[b]oth fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.” It doesn’t say both fighters tried to knock the other guy out; it says only that they tried to win the fight.
That meshes with the notion that Paul tried to win without deliberately embarrassing Tyson, possibly in the hopes of finding another overmatched and/or over-the-hill boxer with name recognition who’ll sign up for an easy payday without fear of being humiliated in the ring by a YouTube millionaire who has parlayed his success into a real-life fantasy boxing adventure.
Regardless, the statement does nothing but bring more attention to the problem. It’s the equivalent of a suspected murderer shouting “I didn’t kill nobody!” before ever being charged. And the defense is, basically, “I didn’t do it because I know murder is illegal.”
It’s unclear why MVP decided to issue this statement. If they’re looking for free publicity 10 days after the fight, they got. If they’re looking to spray water onto a brushfire that could spread into class-action litigation from anyone who bet on Paul to knock out Tyson and/or potential criminal prosecution, that liquid could end up being lighter fluid.
