Paul-Tyson bout a study in emotions

It is not surprising that the Jake Paul, 27- Mike Tyson, 58, bout was disappointing to thousands of spectators at the stadium in Dallas and to the millions who crashed Netflix where it was telecast live, because instead of being a clash of rage and power between the two boxers (because it was anything but a clash of rage and power between the two boxers). Paul was a showman apart from his boxing credentials, in an era of social media, and Tyson became a legend because of his raw power and pent-up rage of his deprived childhood and youth which he displayed instinctively in the ring in the 1980s.

Tyson was not just a boxing symbol, he was a symbol of social disparity in America. But Tyson had his time in the sun. What Paul showed during what turned out to be an insipid battle of fists was his acknowledgement of the legendary Tyson.

The bout was a let-down for everyone except Paul. And he declared it unabashedly after the fight: “First and foremost, Mike Tyson – it’s an honour to be able to fight him.” It goes beyond sports etiquette of doffing your hat to an opponent. It is a very self-conscious gesture by Paul to a hero in his autumn.

Was it a fake fight which is unworthy of two professional boxers? The figures of 11 Tyson punches against Paul’s 71 showed quite emphatically that it lacked real punch. Tyson was simple and honest. He had a knee issue. And it did slow him down. But he did not want to find excuses for his defeat. He said, “Yeah, but I can’t use it as an excuse. If I did, I wouldn’t be here.” And he stated his credo: “I knew he was a good fighter. He was prepared, I came to fight. I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself. I’m not one of those guys that live to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do.” He sounds stoic, quite like the gladiator in ancient Rome.

The stakes were indeed high because of the marketing hype of the fight. And it is not the first time that the hype fell flat on the face as it were. There were 72,300 fans in the stadium in Arlington, Texas, and there were the 120 million people on Netflix. They wanted excitement. They wanted the two boxers to fight as fiercely as they can, and each one of them to go at the other like enemies.

It might be unfair to label the spectators as bloodthirsty as the crowds at the Roman arena. They wanted to witness a keen contest, where each battled the other with all one is capable of. Their disappointment was quite justified.

But Paul seems to have sensed the physical and the mental state of Tyson in the ring. He knew he was facing an ageing lion, and he did not want to maul Tyson. He showed respect and exercised restraint.

It might be judged as going against the protocols of the boxing bout. Paul was expected to deliver his blows without any consideration. Somewhere Paul let his personal moral code override the game’s rules. If the bout is seen in slow motion later, it will perhaps be possible to look at the emotions on the faces of the two fighters, Paul holding himself back, Tyson giving all that he had. This is something

you do not witness in a boxing ring. Paul could have downed Tyson in the first three rounds, and brought the former heavyweight champion to his knees, and humiliate him. The bout can be seen as a play of human condition where the two contestants bring to the contest unequal strengths.