Mike Tyson and Jake Paul discuss corruption in boxing
Mike Tyson is undoubtedly one of the greatest boxers of all time. The former undisputed heavyweight world champion walked away from the sport with a record of 50 wins, 6 losses, and 2 no-contest results. He also holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title.
Needless to say, ‘Iron Mike’ knows a thing or two about the gritty world of boxing. Over a career that spanned two decades, one of the most critical lessons Mike Tyson learned was to stay aware of corrupt boxing promotions.
In a recent episode of his podcast, Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson, he spoke to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. ‘The Problem Child’ is among the most radioactive personalities in professional boxing today and has a professional record of 7-1.
During their conversation, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul touched upon the subject of corruption in boxing today. ‘Iron Mike’ pointed out how people with the best reputations turn out to be the biggest thieves in boxing. ‘The Problem Child’ then added:
“It’s one of the most corrupt businesses in the world… So many fighters are taken advantage of when they’re young. Signing to these ten-fifteen fight deals for “guaranteed money” they’re locked in. Then their promoters take advantage of them… They’re just stuck in their contracts.”
Watch the full video here:
Jake Paul admits to Mike Tyson that he’s losing money through his boxing promotion to help other fighters
While Jake Paul is undoubtedly among the most polarizing entities in boxing, his influence on the sport is undeniable. Ever since his professional boxing debut against AnEnsonGib in January 2020, ’The Problem Child’ has been vocal about his intentions to bring about a positive change in the sport.
Paul is often accused of stat-padding his professional record against former MMA fighters in the twilight of their careers. Having beaten Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren in the squared circle, the YouTuber may not have earned the respect of combat sports fans. However, he successfully used his platform to draw attention to some critical issues that plagued the sport.
In 2021, Jake Paul, alongside former UFC chief financial officer Nakisa Bidarian, introduced Most Valuable Productions (MVP). The controversial influencer has often claimed to use his organization to bring about a change in boxing.
On the same episode of Mike Tyson’s podcast, Paul outlined how he’s losing money through MVP to help boxers. He stated:
“The reason why I’m shaking up the game so much is because I don’t need the money from the promotion. I have lost money from my promotional company in terms of just my time added, and all the work I do, it’s like breaking even at best… Me and my promotional partner do it because we wanna help these other fighters realize their dreams and grow.”
