Natalie Zarth

During the boxing match on Nov. 15 between Jake Paul, a 27-year-old YouTuber, and Mike Tyson, a 58-year-old professional boxer, there were many times when you could tell that Tyson wasn’t giving much of a fight in the ring.

For example, there were many times when Tyson instinctively moved his head or his gloves, going for a knockout shot after dodging one of Paul’s many attacks. In round one, he came into the match full of energy but was evidently going too hard on Paul. There was a time when Paul pulled him close, and after a short conversation, Tyson gave an affirming tap on the back with his glove.

After this, he toned his performance down to a minimum. He stopped swinging as much, but just enough to put on a show for the viewers. He went around in circles as Paul barraged him with shots, barely ducking out of the way, making little to no effort to try and counter.

While I’m not entirely surprised about the turnout of this matchup, I was disappointed with the result and how both competitors acted during the match. Paul acted disrespectful and cocky, and Tyson was trying his best to limit himself. Spectators were also disappointed by the performance, as the arena was filled with the sound of boos as the results were announced.

After the match, Tyson offered to shake Paul’s hand, but Paul ignored him and instead promoted his energy drink brand, Prime.

Overall, in my opinion, the fight was clearly rigged in Paul’s favor. Because of how hyped up the event was, it earned Netflix thousands of subscribers. According to Netflix, the match was viewed by 60 million households. Tyson also earned $20 million from the match, which was well deserved.