Netflix and Mike Tyson Have Trouble Loading

If you’re like me, you went to bed last night feeling scammed.

By Netflix. By Jake Paul. And by Mike Tyson.

But what should we have really expected from a 58-year-old boxing legend, who if we’re being completely honest with ourselves, was never quite the same boxer as the one they put behind bars in 1992 after his conviction for rape.

For many Americans, especially Gen Xers like me, it was another nostalgia hit.

If LeBron can still dominate the NBA at 40, and if Tom Brady can rule the NFL at 43, then surely Iron Mike can put a 27-year-old punk-ass YouTuber in his place.

But sadly, Mike Tyson is more Aaron Rodgers than Tom Brady.

The first two rounds were entertaining. Tyson threw and landed some punches. He kept Paul at a distance. If I had been scoring the match, I’d have given Tyson the first two rounds.

After that, however, Tyson simply played the role of a sparring partner. And a bad one at that.

He stood in the ring, his defense up, while Paul delivered measured jabs with an occasional right or hook to the body. For six rounds.

Tyson rarely threw a punch. In one round, the stats showed he threw 5. I think I missed 4 of them.

The slap Tyson connected with during the combatant’s final stare down on Thursday was Tyson’s best punch he threw in Texas.

Source: Rolling Stone

Netflix

What I’ve failed to mention to this point is that I watched nearly half the match via a YouTube channel that was streaming video from Antonio Brown, who was in attendance at AT&T Stadium.

If you don’t know who Antonio Brown is, he was a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He’s had his own legal issues, ranging from throwing furniture out of hotel windows, reckless driving and being accused of sexual assault. His erratic behavior has led many to believe he may be suffering the effects of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). But on Friday night, we was a savior to thousands (millions?) watching his feed.

As Netflix’s first foray into live sporting events, it did not go well. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be working in Netflix’s customer service department today.

I subscribe to Netflix. I was able to watch the first two preliminary bouts without any issues. Once the women’s match, featuring Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano began, Netflix went kaput.

Amazon Prime (NFL) and Peacock (WWE’s WrestleMania) stream live sporting events, including playoff games and big premium live events, without issues. Granted, they likely haven’t had the number of viewers who were trying to see last night’s fight, but it was not a good look for Netflix.

It should also be a red flag for any major sports league thinking of moving one of its premier events (I.e. Super Bowl, World Series, college football national champions game) to a streaming platform.

Jake Paul

Jake and his brother, Logan, are two of the best promoters in the world. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny it.

Most people I know were rooting for Jake to eat a nice right hand from Tyson. Paul was playing, to use a wrestling term, the heel. The bad guy. He loves being the bad guy.

After last night, he might be even more of a bad guy than he ever thought possible.

Paul-Tyson was the biggest boxing match since 2017’s Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor match. And it was just as bad, just not as long.

Boxing doesn’t have big fights anymore. It hasn’t in more than thirty years. The Mayweather-McGregor fight was the first “big” fight I’d watched since Tyson-Holyfield in 1997. That’s the one where Tyson famously bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear.

Last night was an opportunity to put boxing back on the map. Sadly, it showed all the reasons why the sweet science has been surpassed by mixed martial arts, and more specifically, the UFC.

After watching last night, I’m not sure the “fight” was on the up-and-up. And that was my big concern about even getting invested in the fight to begin with. And as I’ve learned, trust your gut.

Tyson’s last professional fight was in 2005, and he lost by TKO. That was nearly 20 years ago. Why did we believe he would suddenly be resurrected as The Baddest Man on the Planet in 2024?

Fighters in UFC can’t hide like Tyson hid in full guard. The weak get knocked out or tied up like a pretzel until they submit. The ending is satisfying 99.99% of the time.

As a long-time pro wrestling fan, I know what I’m watching is predetermined, but I also know I’ll be told a great story, sometimes for months leading up to the payoff in a big match. We may not always be happy with the result, but again, we are usually entertained.

Jake Paul did not entertain last night. Part of that was the choice of his opponent.

I will be shocked if people ever consider watching another Jake Paul fight. I won’t. I doubt I’d be entertained. I know I’ll more likely be aggravated, or feel scammed, by Paul or my streaming service. Take your pick!

The highlight on Friday didn’t take place in the boxing ring. It took place in my living room.

The fight brought together my two daughters and 9-year-old son, who all tried to watch the fight together. I ordered a pizza and cheesy bread sticks from Domino’s, just like my brother and his friend did when I was 9 and we watched Tyson fights on HBO.

For just one night, at least I was able to turn back time.