1 week Ago By Andrew Gamble
Netflix has revealed that the co-main event featuring Jake Paul and Mike Tyson , with Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor, became the most viewed professional women's sporting event in US history. The showdown took place on Friday in Twxas, where Paul faced off against Tyson - marking his first professional boxing match in 19 years - over eight rounds. The bout went the full distance, with the YouTuber securing victory via the judge's scorecards.
Paul's performance against Tyson drew criticism due to the significant age difference between the two fighters, leading many to question his motives for the fight. The 27-year-old was met with boos for his lack of aggression in the final rounds, and even his own corner expressed disappointment, urging him to aim for a knockout. Despite the criticism, Paul dominated the fight, making the 31-year age gap between him and 'Iron Mike' evident as Tyson struggled to keep pace with the younger fighter.
Fans had hoped that the world's youngest-ever heavyweight champion could turn back the clock in his first professional fight in 19 years, but it was not to be. In contrast, the co-main event featuring Taylor and Serrano was a nail-biter. Despite landing fewer punches than Serrano, the Irish star controversially won on points, leaving both women battered and bloodied after giving their all in the ring.
Serrano against Taylor resulted in a staggering near 50 million households worldwide tuning in live. Netflix 's data suggests that this match is on course to be the most-watched professional womens sporting event in US history. Taylor successfully defended her undisputed women's lightweight championship in what many saw as a contentious and unpopular unanimous decision against Amanda Serrano.
Echoing their memorable 2022 meeting at Madison Square Garden, which was the first-ever women-led headline event at the famed venue, Taylor edged out the victory once again. Labelled as one of the most eagerly awaited conflicts in female boxing, the fight did not disappoint, mirroring the intensity of their initial bout. Despite local preference for Serrano, all three judges scored the contest 95-94 for Taylor, leaving the Texas crowd disenchanted.
Nearly 50 million homes were glued to the screen as Taylor reaffirmed her dominance over Serrano, while Tyson's defeat to Paul seized an immense international viewership, peaking at 65 million. As Netflix ventured into the sports broadcasting field, it faced criticisms due to numerous complaints from spectators about streaming issues such as connection disruptions and frozen screens. The triumphant Paul remarked post-victory, "We crashed the site.
This is the biggest event." Tyson initially outperformed in the opening rounds, but Paul recalibrated and took control as Tyson seemed to fatigue. Paul managed an impressive 78 hits from 278 punches thrown, standing in sharp relief to Tyson, who landed just 18 of his 97 punches thrown.
As the final rounds played out, a chorus of boos echoed from the AT&T Stadium crowd as neither boxer seemed to make much effort as the two-minute rounds ticked away. It's likely that spectators tuning in from around the globe shared similar sentiments..
