Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have both been suspended by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) after their highly-anticipated fight. The two men were given the mandatory minimum of days, which in this case, is a 24-day suspension after their fight in Arlington.
TDLR have a stipulation in place where each fighter is required to rest for at least three days per round fought, and because the the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former undisputed heavyweight champion only fought for eight rounds, they will be suspended for 24 days, according to MMA Junkie.
Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor also will be banned from competing as well. With their fight going the distance, which Taylor won via a unanimous decision, the two stars will also be shelved for more than a month as a result of the fight, with the two being suspended for 45 days.
And while Serrano and Taylor’s fight proved to be an incredible display of will and strength, Paul and Tyson’s main event bout appeared to be anything but that. After a quick flurry from the 58-year-old early in the fight, Tyson appeared to tire quickly, with Paul taking advantage of his opponent’s lack of stamina.
After eight rounds of lackluster boxing, the 27-year-old was awarded a unanimous decision, with Paul bowing to Tyson in the waning moments of the final round. Speaking to his fans after the fact, Paul apologised for choosing not to knockout Tyson, despite promising he would do so.
“I’m sorry I didn’t knock him out,” Paul began, with those alongside him agreeing he did the respectful move by not knocking down the 58-year-old legend. He also admitted to pulling his punches after he saw Tyson in a weakened state as the fight wore on.
“After I’d seen him tired I didn’t want to put too much hurt on him, but I wanted the fans to get a good experience,” he continued. “But there was a point where my aggression and violence went away when I wasn’t getting hit. I love Mike.”
Paul also added that fighting against Tyson was “different” compared to his previous bouts. In particular, he noted that his approach and being in a better headspace helped him calculate what Tyson was going to do and how to better prepare for what his 58-year-old opponent was going to do.
“Fighting in a stadium, it is less personal and less loud so it is less nerve racking,” Paul said. “Arenas are harder to fight in. Walk out, I was cool, calm and collected.
“First round I was gauging his speed, and I managed to get his time pretty quick, saw how I could tag him up and touch him. The rest was pretty much history, I just out boxed him and had fun.”
With Paul proving he is one of the biggest draws in the sport, with over 100 million viewers tuning in at one point, the youngster believes he deserves a shot at facing some of the biggest names in the boxing. As a result, Paul believes he could be a champion in the coming years after defeating Tyson.
“I think it could happen in the next 24 months. I truly, truly believe in my s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s and my ability and my power. And the cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline,” he said.