Losing To Jake Paul, Mike Tyson's Coffers Doubled
JAKARTA Jake Paul, a former social media star who is now a professional boxer, managed to beat boxing legend Mike Tyson in a match that took place at AT&T Stadium, Texas, Friday night, November 15. Paul won this globally broadcast fight via Netflix with an absolute decision from the jury.
Despite Tyson's 58 years of age, enthusiasm for this fight remains high. Mike Tyson, who has a net worth of around 10 million US dollars (Rp157 billion) according to Celebrity Net Worth, is expected to receive a fee of US$20 million (Rp317.1 billion) for this match. This amount is almost the same as Tyson's pay against Michael Spinks in 1988, although much smaller than his heyday, where he had pocketed 30 million US dollars (Rp475.7 billion) per fight.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul, who is 27 years old and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), receives twice as much as Tyson, which is around US$40 million (Rp634.2 billion). Paul's income cannot be separated from his popularity as one of the top social media influencers with more than 27 million followers on Instagram.
Between Entertainment and Sport This fight is more than just a sport; many consider it a mix between entertainment and marketing strategies. Paul, known for his flamboy style, wore a complete chicken costume during an open training session with Tyson. He even made a TikTok video with an additional 5 million US dollars stake for Tyson if he could last more than four rounds.
However, not everyone is impressed. On Reddit, some comments call this fight proof that "modern boxing prioritizes sensations over true sports."
This fight managed to attract more than 70,000 spectators to the stadium, with ticket revenues reaching 17.8 million US dollars (Rp282.2 billion). The cheapest ticket sold for 69 US dollars (Rp1 million), while the VIP seat on the floor reached 32,392 US dollars (Rp513, 6 million).
In the betting world, Mike Tyson is the audience's favorite despite entering the ring as the underdog with a +160 chance. A total of 69% of the total bets in DraftKings sided with Tyson, who is considered to still have a huge appeal as one of the best boxers of all time.
This fight is an important moment for Tyson, who returned to the ring after nearly two decades of retirement. Tyson's career was filled with achievements and controversy, including a six-year prison sentence in 1992 for the famous "bits of ear" rape and incident at Evander Holyfield in 1997. However, Tyson managed to bounce back by launching an ear-shaped cannabis business in 2021, which generated revenue of up to 150 million US dollars in 2023.
Netflix and the Future of Live Sports This fight is Netflix's big step in entering the live sports broadcast market. With 282 million subscribers in more than 190 countries, Netflix is starting its live broadcast at 8 p.m. local time, making this one of their biggest projects in the world of sports.
The fight between Paul and Tyson, despite sensations, has created great momentum for boxing, combining a brilliant past with a entertainment-based future.