Jake Paul’s boxing promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions, has heard the rumors: that the Tyson-Paul fight was rigged or that, at best, the participants agreed to pull their punches.
And they want you to know the whole idea is kind of stupid.
“Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America,” MVP writes in a statement.
“Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR),” they added. “Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.”
“There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter,” MVP continued, noting that it would be “illogical and inane” for a promotion seeking to grab a further foothold in the boxing industry to tamper with their own reputation by engaging in such shenanigans.
Was The Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Fight Rigged?
Leading up to the fight, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul insisted it would be a legitimate matchup. The Texas Commission had sanctioned the bout as an official competitive boxing match rather than an exhibition.
One sports lawyer mentioned that if there was indeed some form of pre-arranged outcome or limitation on fighting style, this could potentially lead to legal consequences from sports bettors who felt misled.
Therefore, the MVP statement makes sense. They must address the sanctioning to avoid legal implications. If the Commission found out the fight was rigged, there could indeed be legal and professional repercussions for those involved.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, which sanctioned the fight, would likely investigate any claims of rigging. If proven true, this could lead to sanctions against the fighters and/or promoters, including fines, suspensions, or revocation of boxing licenses.
And yet, the “illogical and inane” rumors persist.
Rumors Keep Flying
Numerous observers of the fight have surmised that, at the very least, Tyson was laying off Paul a bit during the match, leading to speculation that the fight was rigged.
Videos posted to social media appear to show Tyson completely pulling a right hook to the chin, causing the “Problem Child” to flinch badly. Had Tyson delivered the hook, Paul would have been hurt.
🚨 Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson – Proof that the fight was rigged, fake and Tyson was holding back throwing the fight for Money
— T R U T H P O L E (@Truthpolex) November 19, 2024
Busted#JakePaulMikeTyson #Jakepaul #MikeTyson #Youtube pic.twitter.com/4mgQIUHCHm
DJ Whoo Kid added to the controversy, suggesting the two fighters had a quiet agreement not to hurt each other. And that the admission came from a conversation with Paul himself, or so the story goes.
“Saturday, Jake Paul came and I talked to him,” Kid said in a social media video. “This is the problem. This is what happened. Legally, they each cannot go at each other hard because if Mike hits Jake Paul, like really hit him. … He still has it.”
Even legendary actor Sylvester Stallone flat-out said if Tyson was “performing at the best of his ability,” Paul would be dead.
“I have known this unbelievable athlete since he’s 19 years old and what we saw was him giving one of the great Oscar winning performances of all time!” Stallone insisted. “Please, Jake, be grateful, HE SPARED YOUR LIFE! Trust me.”
Could a Paul-Stallone match be far behind? The “Rocky” star is 78 years old, which falls right in Paul’s targeted age range.
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