The Charles Barkley bug caught Shaq too. Swept by intense admiration for Iron Mike, Shaquille O’Neal bet a small fortune on his favorite fighter. He was in the AT&T Stadium too to watch Tyson come out of retirement for a bout against the problem child in the ring, Jake Paul. O’Neal, though, has to carry his low spirits to the nearby Panther Island Pavilion for the Bass All Stars festival after the undesirable outcome.

Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson with a unanimous decision in this highly-touted eight-round heavyweight match. Shaq was seated ringside with his eldest son, Myles, and 4x Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski when it happened. Before the match, O’Neal made it clear he was rooting for Mike Tyson.

Only a day earlier, he was on Dan Patrick’s show declaring he was putting his money on the Baddest Man on the Planet. “I’m placing one this weekend. Mike Tyson baby. All the way,” Shaq told Patrick. Ahead of the fight as well, the 52-year-old stated that he was there to watch Tyson “whoop some a-s.”

When pressed about the amount, O’Neal said, “A lot… $1 million.” That’s a Charles Barkley-level wager. Shaq’s TNT colleague loves gambling on sports. He’s known to often bet $100,000 on the Super Bowl. But Barkley loses most of the time because of his bold bets. And that kind of adventurous betting got Shaq too.

Shaq makes no secret of his inability to understand the odds. He just goes with his favorites – the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Lakers, and Mike Tyson – even if it’s against the books.

Shaquille O’Neal’s bold moves don’t pay off

He told Dan Patrick, “No, I do not gamble like Charles.” But he had to get in on the Paul-Tyson mania. Interestingly, Barkley was hedging his bets on Jake Paul. On The Steam Room, he was concerned about Tyson’s age and health since the original bout was postponed due to Tyson’s ulcer flare-up. Barkley believed that Paul wouldn’t have lasted against a prime Tyson. However, in 2024, the Chuckster was going with the YouTuber.

Shaq had the opposite stance. He was wagering on Mike Tyson’s experience, as well as his loyalty to the boxing legend. O’Neal went from growing up watching the icon to calling him his friend. Tyson is the only one, as per Shaq, who has terrified him despite being a whole foot shorter than the MDE giant.

O’Neal was hyped for his idol before the match. He was even teasing a celebrity tournament of his own between NBA and NFL pros. But he’s been radio silent after the outcome.

There’s one thing that could help through the disappointment over Tyson’s defeat and his own $1 million loss. Shaq kicks off his Bass All-Stars for the second time in Fort Worth on Saturday, the day after the fight. At least he knows this one’s going to go the way he planned.