Jake Paul’s promotional company has reacted furiously to ‘false and unsubstantiated’ claims that his recent victory over Mike Tyson was faked.
Paul, 27, completely dominated a 58-year-old Tyson earlier this month in a controversial event watched by more than 70,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and by more than 65 million fans around the world on Netflix.
However, the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s embarrassingly one-sided victory led many to believe the two men were following a script that night.
In a statement on Monday, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions team said: ‘Fixing a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).
“Both fighters performed to the best of their ability in good faith with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – surrounding either fighter.
“Each boxer could use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would be in violation of the TDLR boxing rules.”
Jake Paul’s MVP has reacted furiously to claims his win over Mike Tyson was faked
MVP’s statement added that “to suggest anything other than the full effort of these fighters is not only naive, but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.”
“It is further illogical and senseless that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s largest streamer – an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson – even consider this a perverse violation of competition rules,” the report concluded.
Paul’s MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian also spoke out about the accusations leveled their way over the past week, describing them as a “backhanded compliment.”
“This isn’t the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and honestly, the claim that his fight must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” Bidarian said.
“From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities. They couldn’t reconcile how someone with his background had achieved so much in such a short time. Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has consistently set historical records that speak for themselves.
“This event, which has achieved milestones in attendance and viewership for a professional sporting event, is another example of its ability to deliver on the biggest stage. As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who try to discredit his achievements. We embrace doubt; it only encourages Jake to work harder and achieve more success.”