Jake Paul vs. The World

On November 15, 2024, former professional boxer Mike Tyson lost to former Disney Channel star Jake Paul after a thrilling 8-round fight. Does Paul deserve praise despite the 31-year age gap?

Jake Paul found his initial fame on the social media app Vine, where he made short skits with his brother, Logan Paul, and amassed a massive following. Jake then transitioned into the YouTube path, where he filmed vlogs and pranks, gaining over 20 million subscribers. Jake then transitioned into boxing, where he has fought many retired professional boxers and UFC fighters. He beat retired UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva and has had knock-out victories against Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Jake holds an 11-1 record, with his only loss being against Tommy Fury. His successful career against a plethora of retired fighters has led fans to question the validity of his success—most notably, Jake’s most recent win against Mike Tyson.

50-7. That is Mike Tyson’s professional boxing record. He is considered one of, if not the best, athletes ever to walk the Earth. On November 15, Mike, 58, was a shadow of his original self. Immediately upon his walk out to the ring, fans seemed noticeably concerned about his knee brace. Not only did he seem to lack the mobility of his younger years, but he appeared exhausted throughout the fight. Mike’s age was beginning to show, and Jake took full advantage. Paul was the clear winner by the end of the 8th round.

Netflix provided free coverage of this fight and estimated that over 60 million fans were watching the event live. Noticing Mike’s lack of offensive drive, fans began to speculate if the fight was scripted or rigged in Paul's favor. Though the claims are very far-fetched, I believe that fans are disappointed to see Mike’s age affecting his talent. Even before the fight, Jake was heavily favored causing fans to question the validity of the battle. 

Still, viewers claim that Jake cherry-picks fights where he has the clear upper hand. Jake's success has been maintained through fighting retired fighters and non-traditional boxers. He will not take on a fight he cannot win to keep his image on the internet. Naturally, this is Jake’s strategy. He needs to uphold his public persona to continue to make money. Now, through his new boxing phase, he has been able to continue to create an exciting new image that his viewers love. Though his brother also had a brief boxing career, he has fallen out of mainstream internet popularity because of his lack of new and exciting content, contrary to Jake.

Even though Mike lost, he was still paid 20 million dollars for the fight, noting that, “I’m still proud of myself.” Honestly, Mike was the real winner getting into the ring with a much younger opponent, with the odds stacked against him. He was able to withstand eight rounds, have fun, and get paid millions of dollars. What stood out to me the most was Mike’s humble character, as noted in the post-fight press conference, “I’m not one of those guys that looks to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do.” I have no doubt that prime Mike Tyson would have destroyed Jake if he fought him at the height of his career.

Jack Francini