Jake Paul’s enterprise, Most Valuable Promotions, which was central to the deal with Netflix for the live broadcast of the November 15 bout between Paul and Mike Tyson, has addressed rumours alleging that the match was somehow prearranged or staged. The widespread dissemination of unfounded assertions, undermining the credibility of the Paul vs Tyson event, has prompted Most Valuable Promotions to provide clarification on the contractual dealings and the reality of the fight.
In their statement issued on Monday, Most Valuable Promotions stated, ‘The idea of staging a professional boxing match is considered a federal offence in the United States. The battle between Paul and Tyson was a sanctioned, professional match overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.’
The statement from Most Valuable Promotions went on to emphasize that both contenders acted in good faith, bringing their best performance with an aim to win the match. The entity stated affirmatively that there were no restrictions, whether contractual or otherwise, tied to either fighter. Both boxers had the full freedom to employ their complete range of skills in an endeavour to win the battle.
The statement clarified that any arrangement breaching this would be in violation of Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations’ boxing rules. At age 27, Paul triumphed over Tyson, 58, in a heavyweight fight that lasted eight rounds, with the outcome being a unanimous decision in his favour. The venue for this high-intensity bout was AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Joe Rogan, a renowned podcaster and UFC commentator, has sparked further debate by suggesting that the bout was not a legitimate fight. Reacting to the match, Rogan expressed on a November 21 episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ that he was most glad that Tyson walked away with the prize money and didn’t get injured.
Rogan further expressed concerns saying, ‘My fear was that this was going to be a full-blown fight leading to some serious injury.’ Responding to such assertions, Most Valuable Promotions quipped, ‘In sporting arena, trash talk, rumours and personal viewpoints are commonplace. Athletes and promoters have to deal with these as part of the game.’
Most Valuable Promotions emphasized that suggesting any amount of less than full effort from the fighters would not just be naïve, but would also be degrading their dedication to their craft and the sport itself. This enterprise was established in the year 2021 by Jake Paul in collaboration with business associate Nakisa Bidarian.
Back in a November 19 podcast, Paul himself responded to the speculations about the setting up of his fight against Tyson. He fired back at critics saying: ‘People are often like, ‘Oh, the match must have been manipulated because look at him on the pads but not performing the same way in the fight.”
According to Paul, these critics didn’t comprehend the challenge of a real fight when someone is punching back. Highlighting his attributes, Paul mentioned that these critics fail to understand his power, pace, nimbleness, and his ability to dodge those punches.
Paul further talked about his boxing battle with Tyson saying, ‘It was tricky to land a clean punch on Tyson. He had an elusive boxing style. I was missing quite a number of punches.’
Paul seemed perplexed by Tyson’s tactics: ‘I still haven’t figured out how he manages to sidestep so quickly.’