‘Disbelief’: Jake Paul responds to ‘criminal’ accusation

Jake Paul has responded to accusations he committed a criminal offence with new claims his fight with Mike Tyson was a “perverse violation” of rules.

Jake Paul has slapped back at rumours that have spread across the internet after his fight with Mike Tyson descended into a farce.

The YouTuber’s Most Valuable Promotions company said he’s “embracing the doubt” amid rumours that the blockbuster event was rigged.

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In a lengthy statement released on Tuesday (AEDT), the 27-year-old vehemently denied that his unanimous decision win over his 58-year-old opponent at AT&T Stadium in Texas was manipulated through their contractual agreements after both fighters faced backlash for putting on a lacklustre event.

The statement said it was “insulting” for commentators to suggest the fighters hadn’t competed to the best of their abilities — despite Paul admitting himself that he deliberately avoided knocking Tyson out in the final rounds.

“Following the wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) would like to set the record straight regarding the contractual agreements and the nature of the fight,” the organisation said in the statement.

Jake Paul was announced the winner. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix.

“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 naive but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.

“It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer — an organisation that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson — would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”

Jake Paul has heard the accusations. Twitter and Getty.

MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian went on to say that the accusations were baseless.

“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded scepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” Bidarian said.

“From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities — unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time.

“Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves.

“This event, which broke attendance and viewership milestones for a professional sporting event, is yet another example of his ability to deliver on the biggest stage. As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who try to discredit his achievements.

“We embrace the doubt — it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”

Many believed Paul and Tyson’s highly anticipated showdown was a snoozefest because both fighters didn’t appear to give it their all in the ring.

The former heavyweight champ seemed off balance and gassed in the final rounds.

After the bout, Paul explained that he didn’t want to hurt the former heavyweight champ further.

“I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want hurt someone who didn’t need to be hurt,” Paul said.

“I didn’t wanna hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”

Bang. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix.

NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who was sitting in the second row behind Jones, claimed he heard people talking about a contract containing a clause that Tyson couldn’t utilise his famous uppercut — and that both fighters couldn’t go all out in the ring.

DJ Whoo Kid, who said he spoke with Paul at an afterparty following the fight, claimed there were rules for the fight.

Tyson landed 18 punches out of 97 and Paul connected on 78 out of 278 punches, according to the final results.

Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone also went public with a theory that Tyson was only there to put on a show.

“Business is business. SOMETIMES you have to do hard things and sacrifice for the sake of helping your FAMILY,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I have known this unbelievable athlete since he’s 19 years old and what we saw was him giving one of the great Oscar winning performances of all time!!!!

“Please, Jake, be grateful, HE SPARED YOUR LIFE! Trust me.

Paul and Netflix are facing another battle with a Florida man last week filing a class-action lawsuit against the streaming giant over the poor streaming quality that affected millions during the widely viewed fight.

Tyson reportedly earned $20 million for the fight, while Paul received $40 million.

— with The New York Post

Originally published as ‘Disbelief’: Jake Paul responds to ‘criminal’ accusation