Internet personality Jake Paul and his opponent, the legendary boxer Mike Tyson, have both received an official suspension from the sport after their highly anticipated and controversial Netflix fight.
Far from being a disciplinary measure, the suspension of both fighters for 24 consecutive days is following requirements set up by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation:
“Mandatory rest — all contestants shall receive a mandatory rest period calculated as three days of rest for each round fought with no less than a seven-day mandatory rest period,” the measure reads.
While both boxers went the distance, with the fight lasting eight rounds and ultimately ending in favor of Jake Paul by unanimous decision, both viewers and celebrities have voiced their discontent with the event, accusing it of being “rigged,” with one fan even suing Netflix over it.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul have been suspended for 24 days after a “disappointing” fight that some fans believe was “rigged”
However, the suspension can be appealed, requiring the interested party to request a hearing to prove their fitness.
According to the Texas Department, the measure was established by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) in the early 2000s “for the fighter’s safety.”
The rule was an attempt at standardizing rest periods between bouts as awareness of brain injuries in combat sports increased. While no single incident directly triggered the establishment of the rule, it was part of a broader effort to address the dangers associated with cumulative trauma to the brain.
Despite both fighters completing the full eight rounds of their bout, audiences were disappointed, feeling that the fight had been artificially extended, a concern that Jake Paul himself later confirmed.
“I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt,” the younger athlete revealed in a press conference, explaining that he purposely held back from knocking out the 58-year-old out of respect for his career.
Netflix experienced buffering issues and interruptions during the fight’s transmission, leading one man to sue the streaming service for $50 million
Not only were fans disappointed with the fighters’ performance but also with Netflix’s streaming of the event, with users experiencing buffering issues, cuts, and interruptions.
One Florida man, however, wasn’t content with venting his frustrations online and decided to sue the streaming giant in a $50 million class-action lawsuit over the poor quality of the transmission.
“60 million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ versus Youtuber-turner-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on Planet,'” the lawsuit filed by Ronald Denton, a resident of Hillsborough County, claimed.
According to Netflix, the bout was its biggest live sports event to date, serving as a stress test for its streaming capabilities ahead of upcoming events from the NFL and WWE, which will soon be hosted on the platform.
Celebrities like Sylvester Stallone and Stephen A. Smith were among the first to critique the fight, with the former calling it a “performance” and the latter calling it “sad to watch“
Sylvester Stallone, the acclaimed actor known for his Rocky and Rambo movies, added to the accusations of the fight being “staged.”
The movie star said that Tyson gave “one of the greatest Oscar-winning performances of all time,” implying that the fight was more about entertainment than actual competition.
He went on to say that Paul should be thankful that Tyson “spared [his] life” in exchange for taking home a large sum of money.
The match rules stated that if the bout lasted for eight rounds, both fighters would receive an extra $10 million for a total of $20 million and an additional $20 million for the winner. This speculation immediately alarmed skeptic viewers, as it provided an incentive for Tyson to prolong the fight.
Among the fight’s harshest critics was sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, who stated that the bout was “sad to watch” during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take and urged Paul to get in the ring with “real boxers.”
“You can’t continue to build a career without getting in the ring with real fighters,” Smith said.
Netizens were left scratching their heads by the fight, with many pointing out how Tyson’s performance in the ring differed compared to his training videos
“There was an undeniable moment when Tyson swung and could have very easily knocked Jake Paul out but instead pulled back and missed purposely,” a viewer wrote. “In the ring, Tyson was a completely different person to what we saw while he was training.”
“It was like a WWE fight, scripted,” another replied. “if it were real, Tyson would’ve battered him, just a money maker.”
“Mike did it for the money,” a reader argued. “He only received payment per round and would have lost lots of his percentage by knocking Jake’ the fake’ Paul out.”
“100% fixed, which was expected. Sadly, Jake Paul is referred to as a pro boxer, having not faced any current boxers.”
“How about prison for fixing a fight?” asked one viewer, as others joined in to express disappointment over the fight
