Tyson returns to the ring after 19 years and has a historic match. 2024.11.16

At the age of 58, Tyson stepped back into the ring, just like the legendary days of his prime.

It had been 19 years since he last officially fought, and he even lost weight to prepare for the match. Before the fight, he sparked attention by slapping his opponent's cheek, starting a war of words. His opponent was 27-year-old Jake Paul, a popular YouTuber with 20 million subscribers, who is also a professional boxer.

 

 

But, after 19 years, the "Iron Fist" Mike Tyson (58) lost to 27-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul (USA), who is 31 years younger. On the 16th (Korean time), Tyson lost by unanimous decision 0-3 (72-80, 73-79, 73-79) in a pro boxing match against Paul at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Tyson, who retired from boxing in 2005 and returned to the ring after 19 years, drew a lot of attention. The fight was exclusively broadcast by Netflix, the world's largest online video streaming service, and Paul earned $40 million (about 56 billion KRW), while Tyson earned $20 million (about 28 billion KRW) for the fight. Tyson, wearing a black outfit like in his prime, stepped into the ring calmly and was cheered wildly by the crowd.

Unlike a regular 12-round, 3-minute match, this fight was held as an 8-round, 2-minute match to accommodate Tyson’s 19-year absence. In the early rounds, Tyson had the upper hand. However, from the 3rd round, Paul started to push Tyson back. Tyson clearly showed signs of tiredness, and in the 5th round, he threw 7 punches but landed only one. At the last 10 seconds of the fight, Paul bowed his head to Tyson to show respect. Tyson accepted it, and they bumped fists before the match ended.

Tyson's record, which had been at 50 wins and 6 losses, became 50 wins and 7 losses after 19 years. Paul said, "Tyson is still a great fighter. It was an honor to be in the ring with him," and added, "I was afraid he might hurt me." Tyson, even though he lost, smiled and said, "I'm still happy." When asked if he would fight again, he replied, "I don’t know. It depends on the situation.