I had one of the kids from the hood call me up and ask, Whys Mike doing this?
Does he need the money?
I think its just the challenge.
Tyson enters the arena at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
You always have that in you.
Its the nature of the sport.
According to the streaming service, even with buffering issues, 60 million households ended up tuning in.
The match-up was an oddity.
Costa told me he could see Tysons newfound equanimity in the way he interacted with his birds.
He said, This is rich, Costa told me.
Tyson had realized material wealth was less important.
But what Tysons serenity meant for his ability to punch Jake Paul remained to be seen.
If Mike can knock him out early itll be done.
Punchers never lose the punch, and Mikes a puncher.
Standing near Costa, other members of Tysons entourage projected more confidence.
I truly believe hes going to win in the second round.
He got in the ring with Mike Tyson.
Paul, apparently, stepped on Tysons toe.
Tyson hand shot up and slapped him.
Talkings over, Tyson said, before turning to walk offstage.
The whole thing felt like pro wrestling off-kilter and oversold.
In retrospect, no other moment between the two men would feel as spontaneous or dangerous.
THERE ARE A FEW different ways to conceptualize the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.
As a contest of human bodies, it was the young versus the old.
That will take place next month, when heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk takes on former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
But its highly unlikely 60 million households worldwide will tune in to that fight.
And now here was Jake Paul Vine and YouTube star taking over the sport of boxing.
He knew people thought he didnt deserve it, and he was happy to play into their revulsion.
The rematch had been absolutely thrilling, a display of just how balletic and brutal boxing can be.
Taylor, by the end, looked like she was gasping for air.
You wanted to look away, but couldnt.
Throughout the night, as the undercard fights came and went, the stands had been gradually filling up.
By the end of Taylor-Serrano, every seat was full, the stands looked endless.
On the floor, Shaquille ONeal and Rob Gronkowski were in their seats.
Charlize Theron, ignoring the jumbotron camera, looked on as well.
No one seemed to notice.
And then, finally, it was time.
Hundreds of fans stood at the barricades blocking off the path where the fighters would enter.
Nearly everyone in the crowd stood up.
Paul smiled when he heard the inevitable boos.
Then it was Tysons turn.
The stage was set.
The anticipation was overwhelming.
In the first round, Tyson looked sharp, Paul was on the defensive.
Nothing happened, but it seemed like it could.
It felt like an approaching thunderstorm.
The anticipation was barometric.
But the thunderstorm did not arrive.
By the third round, it was clear Mario Costas prediction had turned into prophecy.
The longer the fight went, the more Tyson showed his age.
Paul was throwing and landing many more punches.
By the sixth round, boos were raining down from all sides.
Tyson was compulsively biting his gloves, as if warding off a sharp pain.
Paul seemed to be taking it easy.
What Netflix called the most highly anticipated live boxing match of all-time had revealed itself to be a dud.
By now the crowd was mostly quiet, the hopeful cheering had stopped.
Not many people even bothered to keep booing.
It was obvious Paul had won, but even more obvious no one really cared.
He kept it there for minutes.
Another man next to him muttered terrible.
Tyson had looked listless, but the crowd never turned on him.
It wouldnt hurt his legacy.
Plenty of great athletes have had weird and inglorious codas.
Paul had looked good, but 60 million households had tuned in for a show.
Theres a shift in the world and good is rising, the truth is rising.
But the crowd at AT&T Stadium wasnt going to be hoodwinked into good vibes.
They knew what truth theyd seen.
Just an hour earlier, the place had been intoxicated.
Now, a collective hangover set in.
Like most hungover resolutions, it would be forgotten.
