The long-anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson finally happened Friday night. There has been a huge level of discourse wrapped around the event, considering the age difference between the fighters among other things.
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Now that the fight has concluded with Jake Paul winning on points, many have taken to X to express their disappointment and 'proof' that the fight was rigged.
Boxing matches in the past few years have become increasingly suspect, with many big-name matches being accused of being rigged. It isn't surprising that this is happening again with another match hosting two huge names. However, there seems to be a lot more evidences and general agreement.
There is one key moment of the match that leads many to believe that Tyson was purposefully pulling his punches. In the third round, Tyson finally pulls an aggressive maneuver by delivering a solid punch to Paul's head. However, there's something fishy about it that many on X are highlighting.
It's this moment right here that proves two things
— St. Sola (@STSOLA808) November 16, 2024
1) Mike Tyson held back
2) Match was rigged
That is a classic Tyson punch typically followed by right hook left hook right upper cut while he walks and rushes forward.
Clearly here you can see that start but he held back, he... pic.twitter.com/4DFA1XeMKd
Was Mike Tyson Pulling His Punches?
After the game, Jake Paul said that he was holding himself back nearer the end of the match. He didn't want to hurt someone that didn't need hurting. However, it may be that Tyson was the one pulling his punches.
One huge point grievance spectators had with the match was Tyson's performance in the ring compared to his performance when training. Many training videos of Tyson were released before the match that shows that he is still incredibly quick, powerful, and poised.
Even at the age of 58, Tyson was giving his trainer hell.
When in the ring, however, Tyson seemed to leave his skill and strength at home.
Even I could see that Iron Mike was not as aggressive as he was appearing to be. So much so that the fight is almost awkward. The legendary boxer never dishes out what everyone knows he's still capable of.
With such a disparity on show, it's no wonder many are believing the fight was rigged. Unfortunately, we may never know for certain.
