Friday night saw Mike Tyson trudge to a unanimous-decision loss against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, receiving plaudits for completing eight rounds at 58-years-old but ultimately underwhelming in what turned out to be a one-sided affair. Nevertheless, ‘Iron Mike’ made history once again, even in defeat.
Like most, Paul could not boast the accolades of the once ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ beforehand, but his youth and comparative exuberance saw him step through the ropes as the favourite against a man over 30 years his elder.
Come fight night, it was clear that the contest was more a battle of Mike Tyson vs. Father Time than a showdown with Jake Paul, with Father Time inevitably extending his undefeated record.
After a brief attempt at a flurry in the opening round, Tyson offered little for the remainder of the scrap, landing just 18 punches and throwing just 97 across eight rounds and being visibly exhausted and thankful to hear the final bell.
Relive last nights battle between Jake Paul & Mike Tyson from the view RINGSIDE ?
? @MostVpromotions pic.twitter.com/B2In89fZml
— betr (@betr) November 16, 2024
Consequently, ‘The Problem Child’ banked all but one of the rounds across the judges scorecards (80-72×2, 79-73) and had an easy nights’ work against a static version of the former undisputed heavyweight champion – who would likely have been stopped if Paul showed less mercy.
Jake Paul explains why he didn’t look to knock out Mike Tyson:
“I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.” pic.twitter.com/rIcLINbU5j
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 16, 2024
Yet, regardless of Tyson’s faded abilities in the ring, the fabled knockout artist banked a reported $20 million for the event and, although he has added an additional blemish to his professional record, he has broken another world record in the process.
Paul-Tyson took place almost 40 years (14,499 days) since the debut of ‘Kid Dynamite’ (March 6th 1985), therefore Tyson now holds the record of the longest professional career out of any of the 111 former and present heavyweight world champions.
Tyson will take top spot from Roy Jones Jr. (12,384 days) who eclipsed the long-standing record set by Jack Johnson (12,231 days) in 1931 last year when he lost out to Anthony Pettis by majority-decision.
However, some may argue that Johnson should keep a hold of that record, due to a reported 1938 contest between a 60-year-old ‘Galveston Giant’ and Walter Price, but there is little proof that this bout was an official one rather than one of many of Johnson’s exhibition fights, which is why it is not recorded on his résumé.
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