Terence Crawford isn’t backing down. The undisputed champion has once again voiced skepticism over the Netflix blockbuster bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, suggesting he believes the fight may not have been legitimate. When Tyson returned to the ring, nostalgia fueled massive interest. Many longtime fans hoped the former heavyweight champion would silence Paul and put an end to the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s rise.
Instead, Tyson struggled to land meaningful offense across eight rounds and dropped a unanimous decision. For Crawford, the optics didn’t sit right. “I think it was scripted,” Crawford said. “I ain’t never seen Tyson biting his gloves like that. It was taking all that he could not to hit him.”
Tyson’s glove-biting moment quickly sparked online conspiracy theories, with some fans suggesting he held back. Crawford appears to view those suspicions as plausible.
A Tough Watch for Boxing Purists
Beyond allegations of scripting, Crawford made it clear he was disappointed Tyson stepped into the ring at all. “It’s heartbreaking to see an icon go out like that. He shouldn’t have been in there at all.”
For Crawford widely regarded as one of the sport’s purest competitors the issue may be less about Jake Paul and more about protecting the legacy of an all-time great.
He added that if financial motivation drove the comeback, there should have been better options available for Tyson. “With all his connections… people could have put him in the right position to make some money.”
The Bigger Conversation
The Paul–Tyson bout reignited debates about:
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Exhibition-style matchmaking
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Age disparities in high-profile fights
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The entertainment-business crossover in boxing
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Streaming platforms reshaping event economics
While there’s no evidence proving wrongdoing, skepticism from a fighter of Crawford’s stature keeps the conversation alive.
And in today’s boxing landscape where spectacle and sport increasingly overlap perception can be just as powerful as proof.
Whether scripted or not, the fight remains one of the most polarizing events in modern boxing and Crawford’s comments ensure that debate isn’t ending anytime soon.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
