On Saturday, November 16, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will face each other in a boxing match that Netflix will broadcast live and that will surely become the talk of sports lovers. But, as the days go by, an idea starts to get into our heads. Is it going to be a real fight or will it be a scripted setup to make money and have a show?
Months ago, critical voices were heard saying that Netflix was organizing a fake fight and that, in reality, there would not be a real confrontation. Of course, both Tyson and Paul have denied this and have done their bit to reaffirm the commitment they have to the fight. However, there are still aspects that may bother some people.
Netflix is playing its cards well
Since the fight between these two boxers was announced, Netflix has had an additional injection of popularity that has not been a bad thing. The platform wants to reinforce its value as a service where you can watch live content and this confrontation is great for it. Months ago, there was a delay due to Tyson’s health problems and the postponement takes us until November. Those months during which the fight was postponed could have been a fable for Netflix to “stretch the gum.” Meanwhile, they have not stopped organizing meetings with the two boxers, interviews, promos and other types of initiatives that have been part of the campaign.
At the same time, and although it surely has nothing to do with it, Netflix is preparing to begin the international broadcast of WWE in 2025. And we cannot help but see certain similarities between the preparation of the fight and the crosses that take place before the big wrestling events. For a moment, it gives us the feeling of being in front of a fight between the great superstars of wrestling who, as you already know, fight with scripts in confrontations more typical of television series (although no less fun, mind you).
A fake fight, but not a rigged fight?
The concept is very different. The rigged combat is the typical one that we already know how it develops. A boxer is ordered to be knocked out in the fourth round and that’s the end of it. But that combat is real within the concept that we can consider as real. A fake fight is different. In a confrontation of these characteristics, every blow, every dodge and every reaction of the boxers is completely planned. Under this conspiracy theory, both Tyson and Paul would be training on a script that would help them carry out one of the most intense confrontations of their careers. As if we were watching a Rocky movie, but live.
Of course, this is all conjecture. There are many people who believe that the fight will be fake and that, possibly, Mike Tyson will lose the match. Those evil tongues say that the legendary boxer will leave the spotlight for a few years to enjoy the great financial injection that he could have obtained by “recording” this Netflix fight. But, of course, it is just a theory, a conspiracy hypothesis of those who do not believe that all this is real.
There are some details that are being highlighted when accompanying these rumors and opinions. For example, the way in which Mike Tyson has appeared in the clashes he has had so far with Jake Paul. In his previous fights, the boxer has always remained very serious, tough and threatening, but in this case he has seemed much more relaxed. Is it because he does not give any relevance to his opponent as a weighty rival or perhaps due to another reason? That is what some boxing lovers are wondering who are not sure that they are going to encounter the battle that is being suggested. In any case, the professionalism of a champion like Mike Tyson should not be questioned.
Finally, we have one obvious thing left: Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson and it doesn’t matter if he has several decades more life than his rival. Possibly, with a good slap and one of his crazy things, he could crush Jake Paul in a destructive way. Therefore, it is more than likely that the answer to all the doubts and conspiracies will be discovered at the moment the fight begins. Not much can be said about Paul, but absolutely everything can be deduced from Tyson’s attitude and combat ability. Because, at certain times, and speaking of beatings, age comes to matter very little. Whatever happens, what is clear is that Netflix has demonstrated, in a masterful way, that it knows how to do business with sports. And we must also recognize that they have organized an epic confrontation that will surely give us a great time. Of course, if Tyson knocks him out in the first round, it will be curious.
