Jake Paul admits he carried Mike Tyson ‘a little bit’ as pair make it to the final bell in drab fight

After almost a year of preparation for last night's superfight, it ended with a bit of a whimper in Dallas.

Jake Paul appeared to outlast Mike Tyson through the eight rounds of their fight, which served as the boxing icon's return to the ring as a professional after a 19-year absence. After an intense first two rounds, the 58-year-old quickly looked his age as his 27-year-old rival moved with ease.

The heavyweight duo were good friends before the fight was signed, and it appears the hardest shot was actually landed at Friday's weigh-in, when Tyson punched Paul. The YouTuber turned boxer now continues in his hunt for a world title, while his opponent hopefully hangs up the gloves for good.

Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson in a record-breaking heavyweight match

On Friday night, the conversation finally ended after a long build-up to what was one of the most anticipated boxing matches of the year. More than 72,000 fans gathered at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, while tens of millions more watched on Netflix.

However, they may have been disappointed when 'Iron Mike' started showing his age from the third round onwards. However, instead of pushing for a finish, Paul decided to move around and take a comfortable decision victory.

So many viewers tuned in that the ubiquitous streamer crashed for some users around the world. And while they weren't presented with a barn burner of a main event, those who were able to attend the event were treated to an entertaining evening.

The star performers of the evening were Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in the co-main event. They had fought before and headlined Madison Square Garden themselves, but in their rematch they showed even more fire, with the Irish woman aiming for a razor-sharp and controversial decision.

Jake Paul admits he carried Mike Tyson to the final bell

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, many viewers felt that there may have been an element of the fight that was scripted. However, that wasn't the case, and Paul admitted at the post-fight press conference that it was more a case of him not wanting to hurt an aging legend.

There were comparisons in the lead-up to Vitor Belfort's crude demolition of beloved former champion Evander Holyfield in 2021, and it seems Paul was reluctant to offer up a repeat of that. Instead, he opted to take the fight to the distance and let Tyson walk out with dignity.

Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

When asked if he had 'carried' Tyson, Paul replied: 'Yes, definitely. Certainly a little. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn't want to hurt anyone who didn't need to be hurt.”

He also noted that it was difficult to make a fight exciting with a man who was clearly struggling to get through the eight rounds. it's hard to make it exciting.

“So I couldn't really get him to engage me or take pictures and do something super cool or whatever, but I don't care what people have to say. They will always have something to say and that is what it is.

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