By Geno McGahee
Last night it happened and those hoping for Father Time to hit rewind and bring back Iron Mike Tyson, 50-7, 44 KO’s, to the ring for one final night of glory did not get what they wanted. The 58-year-old former heavyweight champion fought like a man his age and was thoroughly beaten by Jake Paul, 11-1, 7 KO’s, losing a unanimous decision and, arguably, every round.
The outcome wasn’t in doubt, for me at least, when Mike Tyson walked to the ring. The concern on his face was very noticeable. Despite the training videos and hype that was built up, Mike knew the truth. He wanted to win but he knew the odds, how he felt physically and what was about to happen.
It could be argued that the fight was over when Tyson arrived. He was hobbling as he walked into the building. How can a man at that age with that lack of mobility have any chance in this fight? He couldn’t. I was like most Mike Tyson fans. I wanted him to land just one punch and claim victory, but after what I saw, I knew well before the bell rang.
The opening bell rang and Tyson tried to impose himself on Paul, but I didn’t last long as Paul used his speed and movement to stay safe and beat down Tyson. Mike wasn’t throwing much and Paul wasn’t pressing as much as he could. He probably could have knocked Tyson out in the second round if he went for it, but he understood what it would mean for him if he did. Beyond that, if Paul opened up and threw his hardest shots at the head of an old guy that has had recent health issues and that hasn’t had a pro fight in 20 years. I said it before the fight and now after the fight. Mike Tyson could have been killed in the ring in this fight. I’m happy he walked away with it. I wish he wore pants full time though.
In the eighth round, in the closing seconds, Jake Paul honored Mike Tyson, bowing to the former great fighter. It was obviously appreciated by Iron Mike and it should be by the fans. Paul might have not won many fans by pulling Tyson out of retirement but he did show proper respect to a man that meant so much to many people of my generation.
Despite the main event turning into a slow dance, the co-main event with Katie Taylor, 24-1, 6 KO’s, successfully defending her unified super lightweight title in a rematch with Amanda Serrano, 47-3-1, 31 KO’s, by a one point unanimous decision. This was a good scrap with plenty of head butting and cuts on both fighters. Taylor was rocked in the first round, took control and then Serrano came back. It was an evenly fought contest but Taylor seemed to do enough to win, but this is a championship fight and, for some reason, it was only 10 2-minute rounds. I think it’s time for women’s boxing to move up to 12 3-minute rounds. If nothing else, Taylor and Serrano must settle this feud and that would probably do it.
One fighter that I never want to see again is Neeraj Goyat, 19-4-2, 8 KO’s. He slapped and clowned his way to a six round decision win over a fighter making their pro debut. Goyat can’t fight and has built his career on beating fighters with losing records or making their debuts. He slapped, ran, played to the crowd and then humped his opponent in the corner. Goyat is a disgrace to boxing and to life in general. If he fights again on any boxing card, I will not watch it. He should have been disqualified the minute he turned Nunes around and sexually assaulted him. What a scumbag.
In the end, a bigger story than Jake Paul winning or Taylor and Serrano tearing down the house, Netflix not being able to handle the amount of viewers has taken the headlines. Like everyone else, the event had buffering issues. The app closed with regularity. It became pixilated and unwatchable. It was a disaster for Netflix. Hopefully they’ve learned from this and can improve next time.
Mike Tyson has shown interest in another fight. I hope he is content with just walking away totally as we appreciate what he has given the fans. For Jake Paul, he will move on and look for another high profile opponent to unload on.
