Jake Paul defeated 58-year-old former world champion boxer Mike Tyson by a late unanimous decision during an exhibition boxing match on Friday night (Nov. 15). The fight was live-streamed exclusively on Netflix, and the world watched in unison in hopes of seeing how the popular internet sensation would fare in a battle against one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever.
While some fans believed it was a fun match, others believe this match should not have happened. Hip Hop legends like Drake, The Game and more highlighted their thoughts on the match. The “Pop Style” rapper bet $355K on the match in favor of Mike Tyson winning. Shortly after the fight, Jake Paul explained, “I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
Speaking on the aftermath of the fight, NBA legend Magic Johnson shared, “Just sad smh. I cut it off because I couldn’t watch anymore. It’s sad to see Mike Tyson like this because I went to every Tyson fight. This fight tonight was not great for boxing.”
The current boxing star Gervonta “Tank” Davis shared his frustrations with Paul after deciding to box with Tyson. In a post on his Instagram story, he exclaimed, “To the bozo that shared the ring w Mike.. You a whole bozo for this and you didn’t get the job done. One more thing..I’ma beat the breaks off Jake when I catch em..upper cut jap jap left hook upper cut..hook. Watch.”
He went on to express his love for Tyson, explaining, “You will forever be a legend..rather you like it or not and it will never be another one! And I understand you so well.. All this s**t don’t mean nothing.”
One user on social media said, “Jake Paul is beating up a senior citizen with millions watching he should be ashamed of himself.” While someone else stated, “Props to Mike Tyson for not giving up even in those later rounds which looked exhausting. As the rounds went on I was a little sad seeing him go from fighting to just surviving until the end. But he didn’t quit. Gotta respect that.”
Following his illustrious boxing career, Tyson has had an exciting resurgence in pop culture. Recently, KITH announced a new clothing capsule that features the iconic photograph of Tyson with a pigeon. He also is best known for his “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson” Podcast that has nearly one million subscribers on YouTube. While most understand this fight was a major bag for Tyson that he couldn’t pass up, others wish it did not have to come at the expense of his cemented reputation.
See an episode of his popular podcast below!