Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight was '100% real,' boxing promoter says
Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian discusses Jake Paul's legacy in boxing and the recent claims of the fight against Mike Tyson being rigged.
Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions has heard the rumors and speculation that his fight with Mike Tyson was rigged since the Nov. 15 bout ended with the 58-year-old boxing legend losing by unanimous decision to the 27-year-old fighter.
Paul issued a lengthy statement on the matter through MVP, denying all accusations that the fight was manipulated.
"Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America," MVP wrote. "Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Mike Tyson, left, and Jake Paul face off during weigh-ins, held at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, USA, ahead of their heavyweight bout, on November 15th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
"There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules."
MVP added that Paul and Tyson gave their all, saying it’s insulting to think otherwise. Also, the partnership with Netflix, the streaming service that broke records with the fight but experienced buffering issues, would’ve been jeopardized if the fight was rigged.
"It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer – an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson – would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition."
Co-founder of MVP, Nakisa Bidarian, recently spoke to Fox News Digital about the claims of rigging the fight.
Jake Paul celebrates after his victory over Mike Tyson following their heavyweight bout fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA. (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
"I don’t care what people have to say," Bidarian said. "They’re always going to have something to say. It is what it is.
"This was 100% real from beginning to end. It was so real that the guy had an ulcer, and we took a five-month break to give him time to heal the ulcer to be able to perform at his best level.
"If it was staged, why did we even postpone it? We could have just moved forward with the date: ‘Oh, you have an ulcer, you’re not going to hit each other. It’s going to be fine.’ What are people talking about?"
Bidarian added, "The only win there was if Mike Tyson knocked out Jake Paul, otherwise, the haters would have found a way to complain no matter what."
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul exchange punches during their heavyweight world titles of the Premiere Boxing Championship on Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States on November 15, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Tyson reportedly earned a whopping $20 million for the fight, though Paul got $40 million to step in the ring with the former heavyweight champion of the world.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.