Eddie Hearn did not hold back when giving his opinion on Jake Paul’s unanimous decision victory against Mike Tyson.
Paul, 27, boxed Tyson, 58, in front of a 70,000-strong crowd in Arlington, Texas, to improve his professional boxing record to 11-1, while the defeat altered Tyson’s record to 50-2-7.
During the build-up to the fight, several high-profile figures, including Dana White, expressed their concerns regarding Tyson’s safety.
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Paul spoke of his desire to knock Tyson out during the build-up to the fight but appeared to show mercy towards the 58-year-old when he looked likely to end the fight.
During the post-fight press conference, the 27-year-old admitted he did want to entertain the packed crowd but also never really wanted to seriously hurt ‘Iron Mike’.
“Yeah, definitely, definitely [wanted to hurt Tyson] a bit,” he explained.
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“I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want [to hurt him].”
Punch stats released after the bout showed the true gulf between the fighters, which was not a surprise given their 31-year age gap.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou aimed a tweet at Jake Paul to voice his dismay at the occasion. While boxing promotor Hearn also gave his honest opinion on the event.
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"I didn't really watch it,” he told Boxing News.
“I was in Katie Taylor's changing room. I watched the first 30 seconds, which were quite entertaining.
“After that, it was horrible to watch. It was hard to watch, and it was always going to be like that…"
"Mike [Tyson] came out like a raging bull, but after that, he was gassed,” Hearn added.
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“Mike's a legend and he showed a load of heart, but you just don't need to see it."
The Matchroom Boxing chairman attended the event as Katie Taylor, who is signed to the Matchroom promotional banner, fought Amanda Serrano in a thrilling fight.
The pair had previously gone toe to toe in an epic encounter in April 2022, with the Irish fighter coming away with a split-decision victory.
However, there were calls for a remark, given how close the fight was.
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The second showdown certainly did not disappoint, with Taylor once again edging a brutal contest with a unanimous decision victory to retain the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring female light-welterweight titles.
Topics: Boxing, Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Eddie Hearn
Luke Alfred Davies