Jake Paul v Mike Tyson reaction: Father Time prevails

Father Time remains undefeated.

His latest victim, Mike Tyson, was attempting to succeed where other legends who at returned to the ring past their prime had failed.

‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez and Muhammad Ali all mounted comebacks; each lost to men they would have handled easily at the peak of their powers.

Of course, Tyson (50-7, 2 NC, (44 KOs)) has more right than most to believe his body can defy age, having done it before when he became the youngest heavyweight world champion in history, but that was 38 years ago.

On the other hand, in many ways, this was a rematch; ‘Iron’ Mike had taken on Time in 2004, only to be knocked out by Danny Williams.

While it was age, injury, illness and extensive historic drug use which bested the 58-year-old, the history books will attribute the victory to Jake Paul.

 The YouTuber (11-1, (7 KOs)), who has been boxing for four years, was hoping that a win over one of the most iconic champions the sport has seen would add a degree of legitimacy to his in-ring exploits. However, if that truly was the goal, it likely failed.

In the build-up, clips of Tyson, back when he was the baddest man on the planet where played ad infinitum. This is the marketing equivalent of uploading two-decade old photos of yourself onto your dating profile. That man no longer exists.

The signs were there throughout the circus of fight-week. The influencer was brash, bold and cocky. He simply would not have been had he battled the New Yorker in his heyday. Tyson used to strike fear in the hearts of champions and credible contenders; many were beaten before they stepped foot onto the canvas, such was his power of intimidation.

For his part, the icon, refused to engage with the circus which was the final press conference, opting for short, curt answers. Maybe he knew. Time had ravished his body. Given that legends of the past have found themselves destitute, perhaps, Tyson felt there were more undignified ways of adding a zero to the bank balance.

As ‘Iron’ Mike made his way to the ring, a heavily strapped knee was a clear indicator of what was to come.

 As the first bell rang, ‘Tyson ventured forward, the brain sending all the old commands, but the body unable to execute them. The bobbing and weaving which was a hallmark during his dominant prime occurred sporadically, but it was poor facsimile of the original.

‘Iron’ Mike was gone. What we witnessed was ‘Tin’ Mike; more mailable, less unyielding.

‘The Problem Child’ did what he was supposed to against a man 31 years his senior. Athleticism, speed and a rudimentary jab were enough to largely control the contest.

The bout was drab, dreary and, ultimately, sad. The crowd at the sold-out AT&T Stadium was subdued, they had bought into a promise which transpired to be no more than a fantasy.

Thankfully, each round played out like a glorified sparring session. There were genuine fears for Tyson’s safety given his advanced years and medical issues. The only positive to come out of this engineered rivalry is that the former champion remained on his feet.

In the end, both men looked like what they are; a 12-fight novice with no amateur experience and a 58-year-old man recently recovered from a stomach ulcer and sciatica.

At the final bell, Jake Paul was declared the winner with two scores of 79-73 and one of 80-72.

However, in reality, it is Father Time who had his hand raised.

Shaun Brown

• Jake Paul v Mike Tyson
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