The debate continues about whether Jake Paul and/or Mike Tyson were pulling their punches during their highly publicized fight last week.
And now it’s even roped in a major Hollywood celebrity who once played a boxing character so transcendent that his name is probably more synonymous with the sport than anybody in it – including Tyson.
Sylvester Stallone, the man known as Rocky Balboa, believes “Iron” Mike faked his performance in the ring so well that he deserves an awardāan Academy Award.
“Just to set my personal record straight. Business is business. SOMETIMES you have to do hard things and sacrifice for the sake of helping your FAMILY,” he says, asserting the fight was about money.
“I have known this unbelievable athlete since heās 19 years old and what we saw was him giving one of the great Oscar winning performances of all time!!!!” Stallone insists.
“Please, Jake, be grateful, HE SPARED YOUR LIFE! Trust me.”
So is he right? Let’s look at the evidence again.
Was The Tyson-Paul Fight Rigged?
We at Bounding Into Sports have been covering the Tyson-Paul fight extensively, including numerous allegations that the fight was rigged by both fighters pulling their punches.
Especially Tyson.
Videos posted to social media appear to show Tyson completely pulling a right hook to the chin, causing the “Problem Child” to flinch badly. Had Tyson delivered the hook, Paul would have been hurt.
šØ Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson – Proof that the fight was rigged, fake and Tyson was holding back throwing the fight for Money
— T R U T H P O L E (@Truthpolex) November 19, 2024
Busted#JakePaulMikeTyson #Jakepaul #MikeTyson #Youtube pic.twitter.com/4mgQIUHCHm
Stallone continued marveling over Tyson’s power, indicating once again that Mike had connected … lights out.
“Keep punching Mike, there will never be a MAN like you, a GLADIATOR like you, and a SOUL like you! Keep punching champion of champions!” he said.
“I remember once I bumped into him and thought I was hit by runaway BULLDOZER!!!ā
RELATED: Videos Of Mike Tyson Training Have More Fans Wondering If The Fight Was Rigged
People Can’t Stop Talking About It
Videos of Mike Tyson training for the Jake Paul fight already had boxing fans chattering about the fight being rigged. Not from a traditional pre-determined vantage point, but from seemingly a contention that punches were pulled so neither participant was hurt.
Somewhere between training and the actual fight, Tyson morphed into a slow, feeble man barely able to move around the ring.
DJ Whoo Kid added to the controversy, suggesting the two fighters had a quiet agreement not to hurt each other. And that the admission came from aĀ conversation with PaulĀ himself, or so the story goes.
āSaturday, Jake Paul came and I talked to him,ā Kid said in a social media video. āThis is the problem. This is what happened. Legally, they each cannot go at each other hard because if Mike hits Jake Paul, like really hit him. ā¦ He still has it.ā
Both fighters insisted that it would be a legitimate matchup leading up to the match. The bout had been sanctioned as an official competitive boxing match rather than an exhibition by the Texas Commission.
One sports lawyer mentioned that if there was indeed some form of pre-arranged outcome or limitation on fighting style, this could potentially lead to legal consequences from sports bettors who felt misled.
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