Shaquille O'Neal isn't happy with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson product after paying dearly for ringside seats for one of the most hyped fights of the year.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson went the full distance, despite many pre-fight concerns about the 58-year-old Tyson being viciously knocked out by Paul. Despite the lengthy affair, the fight itself fell short of the entertainment expectations of many around the world, including one of the world's greatest basketball players of all time.
Paul defeated heavyweight boxing legend Tyson by unanimous decision to extend his ongoing winning streak in the ring. Meanwhile, Tyson remains winless in professional boxing since a TKO victory against Clifford Etienne in 2003.
The vigorous pre-fight debate surrounding the ethics of Paul versus Tyson culminated in a fight week, especially considering Tyson's advanced age and health. The previous booking of Paul vs. Tyson in July was canceled with a week's notice after Tyson suffered a medical emergency during a flight.
Despite the massive controversy surrounding the fight, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal and other top celebrities made their way to Dallas to watch the action live. But O'Neal isn't happy with the return on his investment of time and money, given the mostly lackluster and slow fight.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024
Shaquille O'Neal froze after watching Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson live
During a recent episode of The Big Podcast, O'Neal expressed his displeasure with the way the Paul-Tyson fight went.
“I felt like I was being robbed,” O'Neal said of Paul vs. Tyson. “Great people like us, we are remembered for what we do and what we did. So the fact that Mike [Tyson] was releasing the 15 second clips… I love Mike, but he's 58. I could release a 10 second Instagram clip, cut it, and I could make myself look like Victor Wembanyama… but that doesn't mean I can get in there with the young guys.
“If Jake Paul really beats 58-year-old Mike Tyson, is that something to be happy about? That's like me now, or when I was playing, telling a 70-year-old Wilt Chamberlain and bragging 'I'm the most dominant!', but I wouldn't have felt good about that. When [Evander Holyfield] fought against Vitor Belfort, I didn't have a good feeling about that…I just didn't like it.”
O'Neal's comments echo many feelings after Paul vs. Tyson. Following the financial success of the unprecedented boxing event that was streamed live on Netflix, many conspiracy theories have been thrown around regarding the fight, including Paul reportedly giving Tyson hints about impending punches.
Paul and Most Valuable Promotions released a lengthy statement days after the event, disputing all claims that the Tyson fight had been fixed. At the time of writing, there is no direct evidence that the fight has been resolved or scripted in any way.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024
Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions strongly deny the fight-fixing allegations
Boxing star Gervonta Davis is among a number of top names in the sport who believe Tyson has tarnished his legacy with the loss to Paul. O'Neal wouldn't go that far during his recent podcast episode, and he remains an avid fan of MMA and boxing.
Shannon Briggs, a fellow heavyweight boxer, blamed herself for the way the Paul-Tyson fight turned out. Early in Paul's boxing career, Briggs worked with him to coach him in the ins and outs of the “sweet science.”
In the weeks after Paul vs. Tyson, debates over the ethics and integrity of the event continue to run rampant. In retrospect, O'Neal probably wouldn't have invested the time in ringside seats if he had known how Paul vs. Tyson would have gone down.
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