Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions recently claimed in a statement that the rumors about Paul’s historic fight against Mike Tyson on November 15 being staged or manipulated are “incorrect and baseless.”
The company, which collaborated with Netflix on the most-streamed international athletic event in history, was firm that it adhered to all relevant rules for a match that was approved 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,” MVP’s statement said. “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,” the company stated.
Paul himself somehow added fuel to the fire in the post-match press conference by stating: “I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
However, MVP called it “illogical and inane” to suggest that the company would jeopardize a new and possibly profitable collaboration with Netflix by violating the rules.
MVP added: “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 naive but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.”
Record-breaking match
With approximately 72,300 spectators, the event set a record for boxing and mixed martial arts events outside of Las Vegas on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, bringing in a total revenue of $18,117,072. Furthermore, the match reached a record-breaking 65 million concurrent streams on Netflix.
The match resulted in Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) defeating former heavyweight champion Tyson (50-7, 44 KOs) via unanimous decision. The former YouTube celebrity prevailed with a record of 78-18 in eight two-minute rounds, with the judges scoring it 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.
Source: CNA