Mike Tyson and Jake Paul were hit with claims that their eight two-minute round fight in Texas last month had been ‘scripted’ or ‘rigged.’
Tyson returned to the ring at 58-years-old to face Paul, 27, in what was an incredibly successful event
Unfortunately, the controversial main event did not match the hype, with ‘Iron’ Mike looking his age and unable to put inexperienced Paul in any jeopardy. The younger man cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
During a recent appearance on FOX Sports Radio, Tyson was asked directly about those fans of the sport who now claim he was paid to pull his punches. His initial response did not give much away.
“I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out a little … No I have not watched the fight … Know what I remember? Coming back from the first round and then the next thing I remember Jake was doing some kind of, I don’t know, a bow. And that’s the last thing I remember. I thought he was gonna hit me, I thought what the hell is he doing?”
However, the former undisputed heavyweight champion was then asked if he wanted to clear up any rumours about the fight. He said that there was no arrangement.
“It was a real fight.”
Paul’s promotional company MVP has already come out swinging when faced with the claims, some of which have come from big names in the sport like Oscar De La Hoya and Carl Froch.
Most Valuable Promotions said in a statement that any such discussion was ‘an insult’ to the fighters and the sport.
“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.”
As Paul forges head in his boxing campaign, Tyson has now retired for good. He said that he felt ‘kind of depressed’ after the highs of the record-breaking event.
