Nothing about Jake Paul's boxing career has been normal, but Friday's fight with Mike Tyson has taken things to a new level of absurdity. Paul is fighting a boxing legend more than 30 years his senior and who has not fought professionally since 2005. Despite this, the world seems genuinely intrigued to see what happens when 58-year-old Tyson returns to the ring.
The most intriguing question of all may be what Paul stands to gain from taking a task like this.
Let's get it out of the way up front: this fight is box office gold. Netflix is shelling out piles of money and both fighters are walking away far wealthier than they will be before the bell rings. But Paul is already wealthy and he has managed to make something of his boxing career, proving he has some decent skills and a good amount of power while running through former UFC fighters, NBA players and journeymen boxers. A lone split decision loss to Tommy Fury sits as the only blemish on Paul's record.
All the while, Paul has insisted his goal is to become a world champion boxer. Paul is young both in life and in his boxing career and has the money to take part in legitimate training camps most fighters 11 bouts into their career could only dream about. And now, he's fighting a 58-year-old, long-retired legend.
Money aside, what is the best outcome for Paul that elevates his place in the sport or helps reduce criticism over the level of opposition he has faced inside the ring?
Let's look at a list of possible outcomes and how they would potentially be received by the massive audience watching the fight on Netflix.
- Win by KO: Knocking out the once-controversial but now-beloved Tyson would leave fans upset and be brushed off as a strong young man in the prime of his physical life beating up a man a handful of years from collecting social security.
- Win by decision: A certain portion of Paul fans have insisted each and every one of his fights have been fixed. Fans would likely wonder why Paul wasn't able to finish an "old man" inside the distance and others would almost certainly claim Tyson deserved the decision.
- Lose by KO: The most disastrous of all outcomes for Paul would be to end up knocked out by Tyson, a man 31 years Paul's senior. Paul hasn't been in serious trouble in his career, even the loss to Fury was narrow and Paul scored the fight's only knockdown. Being stopped by Tyson would be humiliating, especially considering the shorter rounds and heavy gloves at play in Friday's unique ruleset. One would truly wonder if Paul's boxing career would come to an end should this be the outcome.
- Lose by decision: Getting outpointed by Tyson would only be marginally better than getting knocked out. Paul should have the deeper gas tank and he's been an active fighter for years while Tyson has been podcasting and enjoying retirement.
There's really no result possible on Friday that sees Paul come out with higher public opinion. He either beats up on a kinder, gentler version of a now-beloved cultural icon or he loses to a man who hasn't fought professionally in nearly two decades.
Only Paul knows if the amount of money he'll make on Friday is enough to offset this type of lose-lose situation, but that is exactly what this fight represents. Paul just has to hope the fallout from the fight is him simply dealing with fans upset that he beat up on an old man and not that he was left lying on the canvas by a near-sexagenarian.
