The bout pitted 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Tyson against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, who's over 30 years his junior. Fans hoped to see flashes of the 'Iron Mike' of old, but the reality proved to be a tough watch for many.
After eight two-minute rounds, Paul came out on top with a unanimous decision victory. The result, however, wasn't the main talking point post-fight. Instead, accusations of the bout being scripted took center stage.
Former world champion Carl Froch added fuel to the fire with his take on the fight. In an interview, Froch didn't mince words about his suspicions:
"Yeah. I do think that Mike Tyson played to a script and he was playing a role and he was saying like 'just don't throw the punch, don't throw the left hook'. 100% the fight was scripted because Mike Tyson came out in round one and threw a couple of shots and had a go."
Froch pointed out several moments that seemed off to him, noting that Tyson never fully committed to his punches:
"He never actually exploded with a combination of punches or never really went for it. At any stage in the whole fight. It looked like he [Tyson] was almost acting, he was getting himself in good positions naturally, making shots, slipping and rolling under him, and then when he was in front, even threw half a right hand, he rolled one shot, got in front of Jake Paul."
The former champion didn't stop there. He also took aim at Paul, claiming the young boxer wouldn't last a minute in the ring with him:
"He wouldn't know what hit him. If we connected the fight would be over in the first minute of the first round. Me and Tony [Bellew] wouldn't be playing along with any script at all. We'd be in there to do one thing, and that would be to render Jake Paul unconscious, and that's the reason he won't come to the UK."
In response to the growing controversy, Paul's promotional company MVP put out a statement. They called any allegations of the fight being scripted "baseless" and "illogical."
The Tyson-Paul bout continues to spark debate among boxing fans and pundits alike. While some see it as a high-profile exhibition, others question its authenticity. As the dust settles, the conversation around age, skill, and the nature of celebrity boxing matches rages on.