Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson might not have been able to beat YouTube star Jake Paul in their fight last Friday in Arlington, Texas. But he proved that even at 58, he had a fighting spirit within him, which made him the legend he is today. Even Netflix, who streamed the fight, couldn’t resist giving Iron Mike his flowers, bowing down—figuratively of course—to honor the man, the myth, the boxing icon. 

Despite Tyson’s best efforts, his performance against Paul was as most people expected it to be. Having started the first couple of rounds on the front foot, Tyson was quickly drained out of all his stamina, as the fight simply fell in Paul’s lap. ‘The Problem Child’ clinched the victory via unanimous decision after eight rounds of slow, at times painful to watch, fight. 

Regardless, after the fight had ended Netflix, with a market capitalization of $352 billion, hopped on X to share an image of a billboard, which honored Tyson’s legacy. The post captioned, “The baddest man on the planet 🥊” showed a billboard, the kind you may see on the highway, displaying the words, “We all bow to Mike Tyson.”

Mike Tyson, of course, holds the record as the youngest heavyweight champion in history, blazing through his first 37 fights undefeated. From 1987 to 1990, he reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion, cementing his place in boxing history. Regardless, Tyson seems to have noticed the gesture from Netflix, as he responded to the streaming giant on social media today.

Turning to his Instagram Stories, ‘Iron’ Mike wrote, “Truly grateful for all the love.” Netflix’s tribute to the boxing icon was certainly a classy touch, but let’s be honest—maybe they should have channeled some of that effort into making the fight itself a bit more exciting for the viewers.

Netflix screwed up Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson for fans

If you check Netflix, Jake Paul, and Tyson’s socials, you will find them boasting about creating history by recording 65 million active viewers, who tuned in to watch the Paul-Tyson fight. In addition, the fight also collected $18 million in gate revenue, breaking Canelo Alvarez’s $9 million record in the State. However, the actual viewing experience was deplorable. 

On fight night, there might have been pandemonium in the stadium, but for fans watching the fight from home on Netflix, things were much more frustrating. According to reports, fans across the globe were having issues streaming the fight, with excessive buffering and low video quality. 

So, take Netflix’s post honoring Tyson however you like—an earnest nod to a legend or a bit of fanfare to distract from the fight’s lackluster execution. Either way, there’s no denying ‘Iron’ Mike’s legacy still commands respect, even if the event itself didn’t pack quite the same punch. What did you think of the post? Did you watch the fight on Netflix?