Boxing legend Mike Tyson has been placed 309th in the latest world heavyweight rankings after his unanimous points defeat to social media star Jake Paul.
Tyson, 58, returned to the ring for his first professional fight since 2005 on Friday night, but was outclassed by Paul, who used their 31-year age gap to his advantage. Despite the defeat, Tyson expressed gratitude for the experience on X, revealing that he had overcome significant health issues to make his ring walk at the AT&T Stadium.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time,” Tyson stated. “I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”
Tyson’s defeat means he has been listed 309th in BoxRec’s latest heavyweight rankings, trailing 183 spots behind Paul. The 58-year-old icon finds himself merely three rungs above Terrell Jamal Woods, a 35-year-old fighter with only one victory in his last 15 matches and a 29-62 professional record. In a strange sight for older boxing fans, Tyson is positioned under relatively obscure boxers like Peter ‘The Problem’ Naylor.
On the flip side, after his impressive victory in Texas, up-and-comer Paul stands at 126th in the rankings. Paul reflected on the bout and admitted taking his foot off the gas against Tyson, stating: “Yeah, definitely, definitely a bit. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want [to hurt him]. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt somebody that didn’t need to be hurt.”
Despite a lackluster response from some fans, with a few exiting AT&T Stadium before the result, there has been plenty of post-fight noise. Undisputed light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev was among those who threw down a challenge to Paul.
Tyson has re-entered the rankings while Paul has moved up (
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Getty Images for Netflix A 2024)
On Saturday, Beterbiev asked on Instagram: “@jakepaul what can you do in ring against the current undisputed champion? Just know that I’m always open to any suggestions.”
It has since been revealed that over 60 million households tuned into the main event on Netflix, causing the streaming service to crash multiple times. The fight’s gate revenue exceeded $18m, shattering the previous Texas record for combat sports in both boxing and MMA, previously held by Canelo Alvarez at $9m.
