Boxing legend Mike Tyson has been ranked 309th among active heavyweights following his loss to YouTube sensation Jake Paul.
Former undisputed champion ‘Iron Mike’ made a remarkable return to the ring on Friday night to face off against the 27-year-old influencer. It was Tyson’s first pro fight since his defeat to Kevin McBride back in 2005. Yet, in his heavyweight bout with ‘The Problem Child’, Tyson came up short. Despite avoiding a knockout loss, the 58-year-old was outpointed by Paul.
Reflecting on the match via Twitter, Tyson shared: “This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”
Tyson has now been placed 309th in Boxrec’s latest heavyweight ranks, a staggering 183 spots below Paul. The heavyweight legend is just above the likes of Terrell Jamal Woods, a 35-year-old with only one win in his last 15 bouts and a pro record of 29-62. Fighters like Peter ‘The Problem’ Naylor are now ranked markedly higher than Tyson, which will be a strange sight for many veteran boxing fans.
Meanwhile, fresh from his big victory in Texas, Paul sits 126th in the global list. Post-fight, the YouTuber admitted to easing off in the latter rounds against Tyson. “Yeah, definitely, definitely a bit,” Paul said. “I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want [to hurt him]. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt somebody that didn’t need to be hurt.”
Not everyone appreciated the spectacle, with some spectators even exiting the AT&T Stadium before hearing the verdict. Yet plenty of buzz has followed, such as the reaction from reigning undisputed light-heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev.
(Image: Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
Writing on Instagram, Beterbiev challenged Paul to a fight on Saturday: “@jakepaul what can you do in ring against the current undisputed champion? Just know that I’m always open to any suggestions.”
It was revealed that over 60 million households streamed the main event on Netflix, leading to several crashes of the streaming platform. Meanwhile, the fight’s gate exceeded $18m, doubling the previous Texas gate record for combat sports in both boxing and MMA, surpassing Canelo Alvarez’s record of $9m.
