Last week marked the return of boxing legend Mike Tyson when he fought YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
To be frank, I figured we’d be in for a freak show and that’s exactly what we got.
Paul has become a pretty big deal in boxing. Not because he’s a world class fighter, but because every few months he will take on an opponent that raises eyebrows. This fight against Tyson was no different.
Sure, Tyson is one of the greats, but he entered the ring at 58 years old while Paul was 27. Tyson’s experience was far beyond Paul’s, but people seemed to forget that Father Time is undefeated.
My guess heading into the fight was that Tyson would not have enough in the tank to seriously threaten Paul, and that the latter would take it easy but go just hard enough to get a decision victory. Bingo, that’s exactly what we got.
Tyson was gassed by the third round and that’s around the point that Paul stopped trying. The two played patty cake for eight rounds, went home healthy and earned a massive payday, while we were all scratching our heads as to what we saw … or didn’t see.
It was a live event streamed by Netflix. It was its first live sporting event ever and it went over terribly. There were mass blackouts across the country and the storyline became every bit as much about the blackouts as it was about the event.
I was covering the Bishop Hendricken football game on Friday and raced home at the conclusion of the contest to hopefully catch the main event. I tuned in and sure enough, was unable to successfully connect with Netflix. I checked on X (formerly Twitter) to see what was up, and most of my friends that were watching the fight were experiencing similar troubles. I threw in the towel and waited for the fight to be over to catch the highlights, which were few.
It was just a strange scene. An old Mike Tyson that could barely stand on his feet for shortened rounds, Jake Paul kind of just popping him here and there. Of course there were celebrities in the crowd, weird pageantry … the behind the scenes look into the locker rooms when we caught a glance at Tyson’s bare rear end … just a very bizarre event from top to bottom (no pun intended).
It’s funny how much Paul’ shtick aggravates the public. People fail to realize that he is actually playing the game perfectly. Find easy fights, talk smack, get people to tune in by the millions to hopefully see you lose and then get paid. Rinse and repeat. Paul knows that he’s not a high level boxer, he knows he’s not a champion, but he also knows how to get people to tune in. His character as a heel works.
As for Tyson, I mean, I guess why not? He got paid a reported 8-figure payday for getting lightly jabbed in the face for 16 minutes. Yes, he’s a competitor and I am sure he is not thrilled about having a fresh loss on his record, but does he really care? Doubt it. He’s got millions in the bank, a family, his health, and a hall of fame resume.
I do not care for these Jake Paul fights, I really don’t. The outcome is pretty close to predetermined as he chooses fights that he should win. The only reason why I was interested in this one was because it was Mike Tyson. Who knows if we’ll ever see him fight again?
It’ll be interesting to see who Paul picks next. I probably won’t tune in, but who knows?
The loser in this whole thing is Netflix. Yes, the service got its money, but it took a beating on social media. It put out a half baked apology, but I do believe that it did some serious damage to its brand in the debacle. It’s supposed to be broadcasting the NFL games on Christmas and people are already casting doubt on if they’ll tune in. Luckily, the Patriots won’t be on, so I know for sure I will not put myself through that again. I am actually debating canceling my account altogether.
I was on the fence but chose to stick around a few more weeks to watch the fight, but now I have zero motivation to continue to pay the fees that only continue to rise. Netflix made its subscribers pay more to get less. It’s a shame that it did well financially when it did not deserve it.

We had two playoff football games this past weekend when Bishop Hendricken hosted Cumberland and Pilgrim took on Ponaganset. The Hawks held off a late Clipper push to earn a spot in the state title game against La Salle while a big second half helped the Chieftains earn the win over the Pats.
As for Hendricken, the Hawks should be able to get the job done this Friday night. The team lost to Portsmouth and it took all four quarters for it to close out Cumberland. Both of those teams are strong, but I think it showed some vulnerability in the Hawks.
The Hendricken roster is the best in the state and when the Hawks are playing their best, no one can beat them as constructed. But, what we’ve seen these past two games is that Hendricken struggles to be perfect for 48 minutes, as most teams do, and can be beat if the opposition strikes at the right time.
La Salle is dangerous, especially on offense. If there is a team that can make some noise at key points in a game, it’s the Rams.
I believe Hendricken will be ready to go. After two tough weeks, I don’t see the Hawks letting their guard down.
Pilgrim ran into, what I believe, is the best team in Division III. Ponaganset has a tough defense and an efficient running game. Classical has the best running back in Jordan Duke, but what Ponaganset does in its rushing attack is pretty tough to stop. Multiple guys that are fast and physical. They wear you down.
Pilgrim stuck to the script that has made it one of the scariest teams in DIII. It flew under the radar early on, figured some things out, then all of a sudden became the team that no one wanted to face come playoff time. Pilgrim led at halftime and seemed to have all the momentum, then Ponaganset emptied the tank and showed why it’s an elite DIII unit.