Celebrity boxing has taken the world by storm, and this weekend, viewers were treated to one of the most anticipated celebrity boxing events of the year. The 27-year-old Jake Paul emerged victorious over the 58-year-old Mike Tyson, which came as a shocker to many but was expected by others.
The fight was streamed on Netflix and was deemed a success. According to Netflix, 60 million households watched the Paul vs. Tyson fight, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams. Netflix also reported that Paul versus Tyson has surpassed $18 million, doubling the previous Texas gate record for combat sports in both boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). Niles West students and faculty expressed their opinions on what they thought of the fight.
Senior Lorik Basha expresses his distaste for Jake Paul’s choice of opponents.
“Jake Paul is a 28-year-old influencer boxing a 58-year-old, it doesn’t matter who the person is. Jake should feel ashamed and disrespectful to even step in the ring with him [Tyson],” Basha said.
Basha went on to mention that he was not surprised by the outcome of the fight.
“The world wanted to see Mike Tyson win the fight and go all out as if he were 20 years old again, but we all know Mike was in it for the money,” Basha said.
Physical Education teacher Aaron Diggs also wasn’t surprised at the loss.
“He’s 58. Age is undefeated, there isn’t much he can do. I’m not surprised by the outcome at all. Tyson got tired fast and his abilities are nowhere near the same, no matter how great he looked training. Training is completely different from the real thing. If Tyson was able to keep Paul inside or close, he would have had a chance. But Paul wisely stayed away, as anyone wants to do versus Tyson,” Diggs said.
Senior Yusuf Patel mentioned that he believed Tyson didn’t have a real chance at winning.
“I think he [Tyson] knew he was going to lose anyway, and he was just in it for money,” Patel said.
Another problem that many people have had with the fight is that despite the win many don’t consider Paul to be a real fighter.
“Paul needs to start fighting people his age who are pros if he wants some respect. Until then Jake Paul will remain a fake fighter,” Basha said.
Diggs believes that Paul is a prize fighter and that there is a place for that in boxing.
“I think Jake Paul is a prize fighter which is okay. He isn’t the professional boxer who works his way through the ranks to be a champ. He fights for the money and glamour. There is a place for that in boxing and there always has been,” Diggs said.
Despite what everyone has to say about Paul’s fighting style and choice in opponents, Junior Mustafa Bozai believes that it doesn’t matter.
“He usually chooses opponents that don’t compete at his level, but at the end of the day a win is a win,” Bozai said.
