One of the most talked-about forms of pop culture today is the boxing matchup of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul. The former heavyweight champion taking on a new-age challenger in the form of Paul invoked great curiosity amongst boxing fans and the public in general, with Tyson making a comeback in the ring at 58 years old.
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While the match itself left a lot to be desired in terms of action in the ring, the hype surrounding the same leading up to the event was nothing short of a celebration of arguably the most famous personality in boxing after the late great Mohammed Ali.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. from the NASCAR world also shared his feelings towards the procession. The Xfinity Series team owner elaborated on a recent episode of his podcast, saying, “The high tide at the beach was more exciting. To even say ‘Did you watch the Tyson fight?’ you did not give a sh*t who the other guy was.”
“When they got to fighting I was like, ‘Who the hell was I to imagine that Mike Tyson could actually knock this guy out.”
Jake Paul bows to Mike Tyson at the end of the match. #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/FUQGZVyADQ
— Netflix (@netflix) November 16, 2024
The JR Motorsports owner touched on how the fight despite the headlines fell short in terms of excitement during the rounds itself, while also hinting towards what has been an underlying opinion amongst fans.
“I don’t believe anything anymore. It’s really kind of turned into a circus. There’s not a true battle anymore. When you’re watching some of these matches you feel like the ending’s already predetermined,” said Earnahrdt Jr, touching on how the event had an air of scriptedness to it.
The course of the fight did not see any knockouts from either fighter, with Paul being crowned as the winner of the matchup, leading to varied reactions from the fraternity including Junior.
Further adding on what he ideally would have wanted to see out of a fight that involved Mike Tyson, the 50-year-old said, “I live in a fantasy world where I thought, ‘Damn Mike Tyson I hope he can knock this fool out. It could’ve been my best friend. I want a Tyson-style ending.”
Owing to his reputation from his heyday, “Iron Mike” as he is often referred to could only hold his ground against a fighter less than half his age, which is an achievement, to say the least in itself.
Too bad that it did not give fans the blockbuster end as several hoped for. However, the fight did make fans realize how times have moved on and how the world might be ready for another heavyweight fighter to make his name alongside the likes of Tyson and Ali in sporting history.
