Jake Paul defends flat performance against Mike Tyson with bizarre admission

Jake Paul has revealed a befuddling excuse for last night’s uninspiring performance against heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium, Texas.

The pair went toe-to-toe for eight two-minute rounds, with neither fighter displaying an impetus to galvanize the millions of fans watching Netflix’s first ever live boxing event.

Mike Tyson, of course, proved that he is no longer the explosive puncher who once claimed the world heavyweight title at the age of 20.

Meanwhile, Jake Paul failed to show why the boxing world should take him seriously after laboring to a unanimous decision victory over his 58-year-old opponent.

Read More [Jake Paul admits he carried Mike Tyson ‘a little bit’ as pair make it to the final bell in drab fight]

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024Jake Paul reveals that he was injured ahead of Mike Tyson showdownDuring the build-up to their monumental clash, Paul insisted that he would give Tyson – someone who is 31 years his senior – a boxing lesson.

The former heavyweight champion, too, cited a host of reasons for why he would emerge victorious and, at Thursday’s weigh-in, even gave his rival a sharp slap for good measure.

And yet, despite the war of words expressed throughout fight week, neither combatant was able to deliver on what they had promised to achieve.

Rather, Paul merely navigated his way towards a comprehensive win on points after withstanding an early burst of energy from Tyson.

But still, fans were left amazed that Paul, who is known for producing emphatic finishes against a limited level of opposition, was ultimately unable to force the stoppage.

In a rather facetious approach to his post-fight press conference, though, Paul has now claimed that his preparation was in fact hampered by an injury he sustained in training camp.

“Two weeks ago I sprained my ankle, completely tore the ligament, anterior ligament and like snapped the other side of my foot,” Paul told media members.

“[I] was on crutches for four or five days and it just hindered the end of my training camp.

“I don’t know how it didn’t get leaked or anything. I missed about two weeks of sparring and that’s why my cardio didn’t really feel so good tonight.”

Read More [Jake Paul is presented with opportunity to become undisputed champion following Mike Tyson victory]

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024Jake Paul explains why he took his foot off the gas against Mike TysonWhile Paul’s story is perfectly believable, it became somewhat diluted once he cited a vastly different reason for letting Tyson off the hook.

Instead of blaming his injury, the social media star claimed that their fight went the distance because he simply did not want to hurt his opponent.

This attitude, however, is in stark contrast to the one he expressed after their weigh-in when, in an almost Ivan Drago-like tone, he insisted that Tyson ‘must die.’

And so, it is difficult to know whether the passive nature of Paul’s performance was down to a new-found respect for Tyson or his injury.