The thought of legendary heavyweight champ Mike Tyson losing to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is so wild it’s got fans donning their tin foil hats. Conspiracy theories about the fight being staged are running rampant. Sure, some might call it a blatant cash grab, but come on—staging a Tyson fight? That’s as outlandish as Jake Paul’s pre-fight trash talk! In the meantime, Tyson’s son, Amir J. Tyson, who had a front-row seat to the action, has weighed in on the swirling conspiracy theories. But before we talk about that…

For the unversed: Amir, a broadcasting journalism graduate from the American University in Washington DC, was part of the commentary team for the fight. Speaking in a recent interview with Ellie Seckbach in Dubai while attending the IBA championship, Amir fired back at the critics, calling for cold, hard proof to back up their claims. 

“I got so tired of hearing that,” Amir started his monologue while addressing the conspiracies. For context, ‘The Problem Child’ defeated Tyson via a unanimous decision on November 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight streamed live on Netflix, shattered records by drawing an unprecedented 65 million concurrent viewers—the highest ever for a boxing event. It didn’t stop there—the blockbuster showdown also broke Canelo Alvarez’s gate revenue record of $9 million vs Billy Joe Saunders in 2021, raking in a jaw-dropping $18 million in ticket sales.

Safe to say, this fight wasn’t just a spectacle—it was a financial juggernaut! Still, the event wasn’t without its hiccups. Thousands of fans experienced streaming issues on Netflix, sparking a wave of backlash against the platform. Despite the technical frustrations, eagle-eyed viewers quickly took to social media to point out certain moments in the fight they deemed suspicious. At one point, even a fake script surfaced on X. As per the photo shared, the pair was to split the first rounds, with Tyson showing flashes of his prime. But fatigue was to set in by the third round, and by the fifth, Paul would reportedly out the boxing legend. 

However, a community note on the platform stated, “This is not verified. Every news outlet covering this has called it a fake script similar to the fake script that made its rounds on social medial last year when Jake Paul fought Tommy Fury.” And that’s the exact thing Amir also pointed out…

“When people say that… where is the proof? Give me factual proof. That’s a felony, that’s a federal crime,” Amir explained, before revealing Tyson’s been doing “real good” since the fight. Reportedly, Mike Tyson walked away from the fight with a hefty $20 million purse, while Jake Paul cashed in an eye-popping $40 million. With numbers like these, it’s no wonder fans are calling the event a payday extravaganza—whether they believe the fight was real or not!

Nonetheless, Amir J. Tyson brushed off the drama, stating he’s come to realize one thing about boxing fans—they absolutely love their controversies. “We know the game, we know how people believe [anything they see]… It’s too much, you can’t change people’s opinions sometimes,” he added. As far as Amir is concerned, his father just ran out of gas at his age…

“In my opinion, when you are a little older, you have to go for the kill a little quicker. For someone of my age, 27, I can go all 10,” he concluded. Despite Tyson’s loss, his son appeared content with how the fight had turned out. When Seckbach asked, “Obviously you were broadcasting on that legendary night. Your dad, Mike Tyson, fought Jake Paul. What went through your mind watching him fight?”

“I was just happy because I never really got to see him out in that work before. Actual fight, like his last two fights..I don’t really remember. I was too young. So, just to see him at this age and push himself to the limit and just give it his all, I was proud of him. I knew he was gonna be able to take Jake’s punches,” the 27-year-old said.

Hilariously, he didn’t brush off the possibility of entering the ring against Jake himself, either: “I want to fight in influencer boxing and stuff like that. And I want to fight him [Jake Paul] eventually. But I just want to knock out people before that. I’ve always wanted to, but you know how my dad doesn’t want any of his kids to box. But he taught us how to. He never wanted us to go into it, but influencer boxing? That’s a little different.” Well, perhaps Amir will be able to avenge his father’s loss. And if not him, Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, surely will!

The up-and-boxing boxer has been very vocal since the Tyson upset, even calling out the influencer-turned-boxer after the fight. “Jake Paul is an embarrassment to this sport. If my grandfather was still around, he’d call him out. Absolutely no shame… Love you Mike,” he had written on X on November 15. Notably, this is not the first time Nico has criticised Paul. “He’s fighting for headlines, and I’m fighting for my bloodline,” the 24-year-old had said. So when Seckbach pointed that out to Tyson’s grandson, he was absolutely satisfied with the idea.

“He’s family. Our family’s are real close.” 

Having said that, Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions chimed in on the controversy, addressing the swirling rumors head-on.

MVP on Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight being staged

Most Valuable Promotions, led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, have addressed the growing controversy over Tyson’s loss, dismissing allegations that the fight was staged. Their statement released at the tail end of November called the claims “illogical and inane”.

“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. Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America…There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter…It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer—an organization 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.”

“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism 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. 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,” MVP’s co-founder Nakisa Bidarian had later said.

That being said, it appears despite reassurances from experts involved, fans aren’t ready to accept that once a ferocious beast Mike Tyson could lose to someone like Jake Paul, who has barely fought any notable names. Do you think the fight was staged?