Netflix‘s first live sports event ended with a bang, as the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson went all eight rounds, with Paul coming out victorious via unanimous decision.
Immediately after the fight, Paul was humble about his victory, saying, “First and foremost, Mike Tyson … it’s such an honor. Let’s give it up for Mike, he’s a legend. He’s the greatest to ever do it. He’s the GOAT. I look up to him, I’m inspired by him, and we wouldn’t be here today without him.”
Tyson spoke about his performance, saying, “I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself.” He also gave props to Paul as an athlete, saying, “He’s a very good fighter.”
The Nov. 15 fight took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Presenters and commentators included Roy Jones Jr., Cedric the Entertainer, Kate Abdo and Rosie Perez. Prior to the fight, Netflix released the docuseries “Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson,” about the two athletes preparing for the event.
Popular on Variety There were three fights on the main card before Paul vs. Tyson. The first was a super middleweight battle, where Neeraj Goyat defeated Whindersson Nunes. The second was a welterweight match between Mario Barrios and Abel Ramos, which ended in split draw, which resulted in Barrios retaining the WBC welterweight title. The co-main event was a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, with Taylor emerging victorious.
Many stretches of the broadcast were marked by fans complaining on social media that Netflix had buffering issues, causing blurry video or lagging during the live event.