Tyson-Paul: Mike Tyson proves age is unbeaten in boring loss to Jake Paul in megafight

Nobody was surprised at how this contrived mega-fight turned out. Retired heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, now 58, beaten by 27-year-old Jake Paul in a woefully boring boxing match.

The worst thing you can say about a boxing match is that it was boring.

Controversial, that creates debate. Crazy, that demands attention and rematches.

But boring? There’s no coming back from that.

And this was woefully boring.

Fittingly, it was a Netflix special because it went according to script; a 27-year-old man beating a hapless 58-year-old man.

READ MORE: How the Tyson-Paul fight unfolded

Retired heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and US YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul. Picture: AFP

Mike Tyson did more damage snacking on his glove than he managed against the younger, fitter Jake Paul, who won an eight-round decision victory in their heavily hyped heavyweight showdown.

“I have a biting fixation,” Tyson conceded afterwards.

This was a one-sided battle that resembled the awful fights between homeless men that intrigue YouTube viewers.

By the third round Tyson looked even older than he was.

He was wobbling and biting his glove more than throwing punches from it.

The 31-year age difference was the biggest in any legally sanctioned bout.

The look in Tyson’s eyes in between rounds said: “What am I doing here?”

Jake Paul lands a punch on Mike Tyson. Picture: AFP

Those in attendance at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, and the millions watching on television around the world, rode every one of the 18 Tyson punches landed would knock out the “Problem Child”.

But it was never going to happen.

Tyson was struggling to get through four rounds when he last had a professional bout 19 years ago.

It’s a credit to Tyson that he managed to get through the eight, two-minute rounds. He showed some sound defensive movement, but he had nothing in the tank.

This man is not the unstoppable force who terrorised the boxing world from the age of 20 as the youngest heavyweight champion in history.

He is living proof that you can’t outrun age.

Yet there he was, calling out Paul’s brother Logan Paul after the loss, and suggesting this was not his final appearance in the ring.

And Paul was calling out Canelo Alvarez.

Mike Tyson landed 18 punches on Jake Paul. Picture: Getty Images

Please, no.

Those of us who grew up watching Tyson in his prime could only shake our collective heads at this sad spectacle.

But it did the business.

This was the highest grossing combat sporting event outside of Las Vegas, with a gate revenue of $US17.8 million, surpassing the $US9 million generated by Canelo Alvarez versus Billy Joe Saunders fight at the same Texas venue in 2021.

It was one of the most watched sporting events in history.

Tyson moves to 50-7 (44 KO), while Paul improves to 11-1 (7KO).

But nobody will care about that.

The event fell short of the miracle millions of Tyson fans had hoped for, but fulfilled everything it was destined to be; a sorrowful money-grab thrown at the microsecond attention spans of a new generation who will go back to watching homeless fights to fulfil their blood lust.

Originally published as Tyson-Paul: Mike Tyson proves age is unbeaten in boring loss to Jake Paul in megafight