Over 60 million people across the world gathered around their TVs and phone screens Friday night to watch the biggest boxing spectacle since the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight in 2017. Jake Paul, of YouTube fame and newfound boxing success, was set to take on living legend Mike Tyson in the ring. What was supposed to be a thrilling battle between the two sides of boxing ended up being more of a tragedy, and the 60 million viewers who stayed on through Netflix’s buffering ultimately faced their own decisions and mortality rather than a fight.
Coming into the ring, Paul represented the next generation of fighters who prioritize internet presence and theatrics alongside physical endurance. Riding into AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on a Tesla Model X with his girlfriend, a birdcage with pigeons to troll Tyson and an overabundance of jewelry, Paul leaned into his obnoxious persona many associate him with.
Tyson, on the other hand, who walked into the stadium in a black towel with the letters “LF / GO” sewn onto it, embodied a bygone era of combat sports. This was the first sign of many to follow that pointed at the main difference between Paul and Tyson: Tyson is 58 years old, while Paul is only 27.
In the match which would unfortunately follow, audiences were constantly reminded of the 30-year age gap between the two. Although the first two rounds started off as a close contest, it became increasingly clear Tyson should never have been allowed in the ring; across the eight rounds of the fight, Tyson only threw 18 punches, making contact with power punches four times and never landing a jab.
People across the internet were cheering for “Iron Mike,” hoping for a rerun of his now-infamous fight against Evander Hoyfield where he bit off a chunk of his opponent's ear and then fought off Las Vegas police officers in the ring. Instead, viewers had to contend with the fact that they encouraged an old, extremely brain-damaged man to enter a brawl with someone in his physical prime, a prime Tyson simply couldn't match.
Even more troubling was the sudden rallying behind Tyson against Paul. Paul is no superstar role model; he is racist, homophobic and overall not a good person. But the Tyson vs. Paul fight has seemingly flushed all of our memories, washing away the fact that biting someone’s ear off is not a celebratory act, but also the fact that Tyson is a convicted rapist.
It seems almost fitting that a sport with such a violent history would host a highly-anticipated fight headlined by two people who are, for lack of a better descriptor, horrible. However, it is truly a disparaging day when we celebrate the potential brutalization of a highly unpopular 20-something-year-old at the hands of a registered sex offender.
Other sports frequently put viewers in similar situations. The Cleveland Browns brought in Deshaun Watson with a record-breaking multimillion dollar deal, despite being suspended from the NFL for sexual misconduct. Before Kobe Bryant’s death, he was accused of sexual assault by a 19-year-old. Even McGregor, still a prolific name in modern combat sports, has faced his own legal woes and sexual assault charges.
Networks and sports executives often prioritize profit over all else, just like any other industry. However, by doing this, we risk two things: the safety of athletes and the dismissal of sexual assault. The physicality of sports allows us to dismiss the violence that often spills out from the field, the court and the ring and into real life, and yet we continue to encourage it.
Before the fight, an interview Tyson did with a young girl made its rounds across social media. In it, Tyson bluntly says he does not care about his legacy, nor does he want people to think of him after he dies. In previous interviews, such as one with USA Today from 2005 — shortly after his retirement — where he said “My whole life has been a waste — I've been a failure.” Tyson is a complex man, with a lot of baggage and childhood trauma; it is no doubt that society failed him then and still does today. It also cannot be forgotten Tyson was failed by everyone around him when he was let back into the boxing ring with Paul.
However, we also cannot forget he — like so many other men in the often-idolized world of athletics — has done irreparable damage to his victims. The world of sports needs to change, and hopefully after facing down what a failing legacy looks like on TV, millions of people will agree.
Jackson McCoy is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Jackson know by emailing or tweeting him at jm049122@ohio.edu or @_jackson_mccoy_.
