YouTuber and boxer KSI has branded Jake Paul’s boxing match victory over Mike Tyson ‘disgusting’ and questioned why the fight was allowed to go ahead in the first place.
Boos rang out from the 70,000-strong crowd at AT&T Stadium when the eight-round bout was brought to a close, with Paul winning on points.
The judges’ awarded a unanimous decision in favour of ‘Problem Child’, with scorecards of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 showing a comfortable margin of victory for the Cleveland native.
Tyson, who hadn’t competed for 19 years professionally in the ring, put on a sluggish performance as his opponent Paul – 31 years his junior – showed his youth and athleticism by landing jabs and accurate punches in the eight-round contest.
The former heavyweight champion landed only 18 punches in the entire fight, compared to Paul’s 78. And KSI, who had suggested Tyson would be a ‘lamb sent out to slaughter’ before the fight took place, doubled down on his view after the ‘sad watch’.
“What a sad watch. Whole thing was sad. Mike Tyson is twice the age of Jake Paul ffs,” KSI wrote in a post on Instagram Stories. “It was never EVER gonna be close. I can’t believe this elderly abuse was even sanctioned. Just a disgusting [fight].”
There were concerns raised about Tyson’s welfare after an ulcer flare-up forced him to halt his training the first time around. But both fighters wanted to continue with the agreed fight, which is estimated to have pocketed Tyson £15.8million ($20m).
KSI had predicted Paul would emerge victorious from the fight via KO, despite their well-documented disdain for one another. At one point, when the fight was pushed back from July to November on medical grounds, KSI even challenged Paul to face him in the ring.
His bold prediction didn’t materialise as neither boxer went for the jugular, leaving fans inside the stadium and those watching at home on Netflix bitterly disappointed.
After being on the receiving end of a humiliating defeat, many expected Tyson to announce he would not be stepping back into the ring again. However, ‘Iron Mike’ refused to rule out fighting again in the future.
When Netflix host Ariel Helwani asked whether he was done, Iron Mike replied: “I don’t know. It depends on the situation.”
Helwani then suggested it was his last time in a boxing ring. However, Tyson again hinted he was keen to prove himself again, responding: “I don’t think so.”
As for Paul, he has set his sights on fighting former UFC star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez: “He knows he wants a payday so he knows where the money is at,” Paul said after the fight.
