In a wild but ultimately disappointing matchup, Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, handed boxing legend Mike Tyson a painful defeat in their heavyweight bout on Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Texas. The 58-year-old Tyson, once “the baddest man on the planet”, couldn’t quite keep up with the 27-year-old Paul, who was all speed and agility, dominating the fight from start to finish. The judges scored it 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 in favour of Paul – no surprises there.
Tyson, who could barely land a meaningful punch, managed to survive the full eight rounds but couldn’t find his rhythm. Paul had him in trouble by the third round but couldn’t land that knockout punch he was boasting about before the fight. Still, the younger Paul didn’t let that take away from his victory. After the fight, Paul respected Tyson, calling him the greatest to do it and saying it was an honour to share the ring with him.
Despite the loss, the former world champion kept his head high, saying he came to fight and was happy to have challenged himself. He also didn’t seem too fazed by the outcome, adding that he wasn’t fighting to prove anything to anyone, just to see what he could do. His knee brace might’ve slowed him down, but he wasn’t making excuses, saying that if it were a problem, he wouldn’t have stepped into the ring in the first place.
At the end of the day, it was a strange and unexpected event, with Tyson, a boxing icon, failing to bring back the magic he once had in the ring. Tyson, known as “Iron Mike,” is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history. He became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years old and was the first to hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles simultaneously. Tyson’s aggressive style and knockout power (88% knockout-to-win ratio) made him an intimidating force in the ring.
Celebrity boxing matches have been around for quite a while, but it only really kicked off in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Initially, they were mostly fun charity events or quirky TV show segments with fans chuckling. But everything changed in 2017 when Conor McGregor, then the UFC lightweight champ, stepped into the boxing ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in what was dubbed “The Money Fight.” McGregor pocketed a cool $30 million, and Mayweather bagged a guaranteed $100 million, bringing celebrity boxing into the mainstream in a big way.
So why are so many celebs suddenly stepping into the ring? Simple, These fights pay big. Just look at Jake Paul’s paycheck of approximately $3.2 million from his match with Tommy Fury. With numbers like that, who wouldn’t be tempted to throw a punch or two? Of course, not everyone is on board with this new wave of celebrity boxing. Lovers of boxing, like former world champion Duke McKenzie, argue that while these fights bring in money and media attention, they also water down the sport’s authenticity.
In Mzansi, celebrity boxing has thrown its jab into the entertainment scene. Names like Cassper Nyovest and Priddy Ugly have laced up their gloves, turning the ring into a stage for drama, hype, and pure entertainment. Who could forget the headline-grabbing match between Cassper and influencer Slik Talk? From the spicy pre-fight trash talk to the media frenzy that followed, it was a spectacle that had us all glued to our screens. And let’s not forget the ladies—Zodwa Wabantu stepping into the ring with Manaka Ranaka proved that South African celebrity boxing isn’t just a boys’ club. These matches may not win awards for technical skill, but they sure know how to keep us entertained.
Let’s be honest: celebrity boxing matches might not have the prestige of a properly sanctioned bout, but they’ve certainly cornered the market on entertainment. These fights are like a fast-food meal—messy, indulgent, and sometimes painful to digest (looking at you, Tyson vs Paul). But no matter how absurd they get, the cash register keeps ringing, and the hype machine shows no signs of slowing down.
