Most Valuable Promotions has come out swinging after a week’s worth of growing discussions over the legitimacy of the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
MVP issued a statement on Monday morning in an attempt to shut down any rumours and reports that the fight between the former heavyweight champion and the YouTube star was fixed in any way.
“Rigging 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 in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight,” the MVP statement read.
“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.”
One talking point after the fight was that there was a clause outlawing uppercuts during the bout – one of Tyson’s trademark weapons.
Retired NFL star Michael Irvin, a friend of Tyson, said during a radio appearance that there allegedly was a rule preventing the punch.
“I was looking for that patent ‘one in the body, one on the uppercut,’” the 58-year-old Dallas Cowboys legend said. “When he hits that it’s boom boom, boom. I want to see that. But we didn’t get that, not a one.
“And I saw someone else say that it was in the contract ‘no uppercuts.’ They had it in the contract. Come on guys, why wouldn’t Mike Tyson throw an uppercut?”
MVP, which was co-founded by Paul, also wrote that it would be “illogical” for the group to partake in any sort of shady dealings and risk its partnership with Netflix, which aired the event live earlier this month.
“Suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naive but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself,” the statement continued.
“It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer … would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP, says that the talk about the fight being rigged actually is a compliment to Paul’s ability in the ring.
“This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” he said. “From Day 1 in this sport, people have doubted his abilities — unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time.
“Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves.
“This event, which broke attendance and viewership milestones for a professional sporting event, is yet another example of his 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 the doubt — it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”
Many had considered the matchup to be a sham before the YouTube star and the retired boxing icon even stepped in the ring. But it was Paul’s actions during the fight and his comments at the press conference after that have provided more ammo for those critics.
According to one lawyer, it could open the path for a lawsuit against those involved.
“It wouldn’t shock me one bit to see a lawsuit filed on this fight,” Dan Lust, a sports attorney at Moritt Hock & Hamroff and Law Professor at New York Law School, told the New York Post last week.
After Tyson looked to be competing well in the first two rounds, the 58-year-old began to look visibly tired and was wobbled several times by Paul over the next six rounds.
However, the 27-year-old didn’t go for the knockout, instead appearing to take it easy on Iron Mike, taunting him at times and then bowing and shaking hands before the final bell was even close to ringing.
At his post-fight press conference, Paul told reporters that he “didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
When asked whether he took his foot off the pedal, Paul responded, “yeah, definitely,” and that he “wanted to give the fans a show.”
Paul also admitted to having “carried” Tyson during the fight.
“Yeah, a little bit. There was a point where I was like ‘OK, he’s not really engaging back.’ And so I don’t know if he is tired or hurt or whatever, and I could just tell that his age was showing a little bit and I just have so much respect for him and that violence, war thing between us … kind of went away as the rounds went on.”
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