Jake Paul’s Team Swats Down Online Conspiracy Theories That Mike Tyson Fight Was ‘Rigged’

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is denying that the YouTube influencer’s recent boxing match with Mike Tyson was “rigged,” as many on social media have suggested, and insisting “each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight.”In a statement released Monday to various media outlets including the New York Sun, MVP responded to the “wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event.”The statement said, “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. Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.”Mr. Paul, 27, won an eight-round decision over Mr. Tyson, 58, in their much-anticipated showdown on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Texas. From all indications, the fight was a financial blockbuster.It became the most streamed sporting event in American history, with an estimated 65 million clicks. An estimated 108 million viewers watched the livestream presented on Netflix. The gate revenue of $18,117,072 was the highest-grossing combat sports gate outside of Las Vegas in American history.While undercard bouts, highlighted by a bloodbath between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor, were thoroughly entertaining, the main event featuring Messrs. Paul and Tyson left a lot to be desired. Along with constant wide-spread buffering issues, many viewers questioned if either fighter gave their full effort.Conspiracy theorists suggested the outcome was rigged to prevent Mr. Paul from losing to a man twice his age. Social media posts claimed the fight was either scripted or lacked legitimacy after Mr. Paul admitted he carried Mr. Tyson in the middle rounds, saying he “didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.” The fight, which featured two-minute rounds instead of the traditional three, ended with Mr. Paul bowing to Mr. Tyson as the final seconds ticked off.NFL legend Michael Irvin spread a rumor there was a clause in “the contract” for Mr. Tyson not to throw “an uppercut,” the former heavyweight champion’s signature punch during his prime. Similar chatter has continued, prompting MVP to release its statement.“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes, and opinions,” the statement read. “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 that rules of competition.”Mr. Tyson, who at 21 was the youngest to win the heavyweight title, was fighting in a sanctioned bout for the first time since 2005 when he lost by TKO to journeyman Kevin McBride in Washington D.C. Though videos of the former heavyweight champion during training showed him unleashing vicious punches to a body bag, he barely touched Mr. Paul during the fight, landing just 18 of 97 punches while Mr. Paul connected on 78 of the 278 punches he threw.Mr. Tyson insisted after the bout that he gave his “best” effort. But viewers can’t be blamed for being skeptical. Mr. Paul made his fortune as a YouTube influencer and his foray into boxing has included non-traditional bouts with a former basketball player and mixed-martial artists forced to only box. A loss to Mr. Tyson would have been devastating to Mr. Paul’s plans to be a legitimate contender for a world champion in boxing, and the lack of pure action disappointed many.Nakisa Bidarian, Mr. Paul’s business partner and co-founder of MVP, has pushed back any notion the fight was rigged.“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,” Mr. Bidarian said in the statement, adding, “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.”

Jake Paul’s Team Swats Down Online Conspiracy Theories That Mike Tyson Fight Was ‘Rigged’

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