The idea of Mike Tyson, one of the most feared heavyweights in boxing history, losing to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has caused a stir in the boxing world, with many fans questioning the legitimacy of the fight.
Some have even suggested that the bout might have been staged for financial gain. These claims have sparked widespread conspiracy theories, but Tyson’s son, Amir J. Tyson, is pushing back against the speculation.
Amir Tyson responds to conspiracy theories
Amir, who was part of the commentary team during his father’s fight against Jake Paul on November 15, addressed the rumors in a recent interview. Speaking from Dubai, where he attended the IBA championship, Amir dismissed the allegations of a staged fight, demanding concrete evidence to back up the claims.
“Where’s the proof? Give me factual proof,” Amir declared.
He pointed out that the accusations of a rigged fight were baseless, emphasizing the legal ramifications of such actions.
“That’s a felony, that’s a federal crime,” he added, reinforcing his belief that the fight was legitimate.
Fight drew a record number of viewers
While the outcome of the fight sparked controversy, there’s no denying the massive success of the event.
The fight between Tyson and Paul shattered records, with a historic 65 million concurrent viewers tuning in, making it the most-watched boxing event ever. The event also set a new benchmark for ticket sales, raking in 18 million dollars, surpassing the previous record held by Canelo Alvarez.
Despite technical issues that affected some viewers’ ability to stream the fight on Netflix, the financial success of the event was undeniable, with Tyson reportedly earning $20 million and Jake Paul taking home $40 million dollars.
The aftermath of the fight saw an image of a supposed “script” for the bout circulating on social media.
The script claimed Tyson would show flashes of his prime in the early rounds before tiring out by the third and ultimately losing to Paul by the fifth.
A community note on Twitter quickly debunked the document, labeling it as a fake. However, the circulation of the script only fueled the conspiracy theories surrounding the fight’s legitimacy.
Amir Tyson responded to these claims.
“We know the game, we know how people believe [anything they see]… It’s too much, you can’t change people’s opinions sometimes,” he concluded.