Human history has been witness to “freak” shows ever since the dawn of the Romans. And to no one’s surprise, these outings have transcended into modern combat sports quite smoothly. The upcoming boxing bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson is a worthy example. The point of contention has erupted over the difference in the ages and physical prime of the duo. This has certainly attracted a negative connotation from fight fans around the world.

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub shared the same sentiment and cannot understand why exactly Paul agreed to this fight. Schaub broke down exactly why this was a horrible decision on ‘The Problem Child’s part as he cannot see any outcome that goes in his favor. “I love Mike Tyson, love Jake, Jake’s my boy. I hope it f**ing crushes. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out the upside to this. Let’s go through the scenarios if you’re Jake. So you knock him out, [people would say] ‘Horrible dude. What the f*k, you just beat up an old man.’ You get knocked out, [people would go] ‘Told you this guy’s a joke, you got beat up by a 58-year-old. The third scenario here is it goes to a decision. That’s a disaster and nobody’s coming back,” he said on his podcast.

On the other hand, Schaub explained that Tyson will be the only one who walks out the winner after that fight, regardless of how it turns out. “That’s a disaster business-wise for Netflix, it a disaster for Jake Paul, who went to a decision with a 58-year-old Mike Tyson. The only person who wins is not Netflix, not Jake Paul. Mike Tyson wins. He can do no wrong. He gets knocked out, he’s 58, and still getting paid. He beats Jake Paul, f**k yeah… He goes to decision, Mike Tyson wins,” Schaub added.

In addition to being a 58-year-old man who has been forced to limit himself to a wheelchair on occasion, Tyson is among the most beloved men in the entire combat sports world, and in pop culture in general. No one thinks the fight will be very competitive, except for the possibility of Tyson catching the celebrity boxer with a good hard shot. On the other hand, Netflix’s decision to green-light Tyson-Paul is much more easily understood.

Why Netflix chose Mike Tyson for its combat sports debut

Mike Tyson, as we have mentioned, remains a cultural icon and the most famous man in the fight game. The event, of course, will be broadcast live on Netflix globally. To make it a success, the world’s most popular video-streaming platform will need someone who has international star power.

As far as the fight game goes, there is no one more famous in the world than Mike Tyson. Whatever the result of the bout, one thing is certain. A lot of people, not even necessarily fight fans, would be inclined to tune in to watch Tyson fight. Not to mention there are many young people, who have only heard or watched replays of Tyson and his legendary ring presence.

A lot of them may also choose to check out his fight simply because of its novelty and since it might just be the last time they can watch ‘Iron Mike’ fight. Since it is Netflix’s first foray into the fight game, numbers are paramount. And having Tyson on the card will almost definitely ensure the event does good numbers. What comes after may not be as much of a concern for Netflix as Schaub thinks. What do you think about Brendan Schaub’s concerns for Jake Paul going into the Mike Tyson fight?