Mike Tyson accused of ‘acting’ in Jake Paul fight in hastily-deleted message

Jake Paul beat Mike Tyson by unanimous decision earlier this month and actor Sylvester Stallone has apologised after claiming the former world heavyweight champion “spared” his opponent

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul

Jake Paul beat Mike Tyson by unanimous decision earlier this month (
Image: Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)

Sylvester Stallone has apologised after claiming Mike Tyson produced “one of the great Oscar winning performances of all time” in his fight against Jake Paul.

Paul beat Tyson by unanimous decision earlier this month in their eight-round contest in front of 70,000 people at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. In his post-fight interview, Paul admitted to carrying the 58-year-old former world heavyweight champion, stating that he “wanted to give the fans a show” and that he “didn’t want to hurt somebody that didn’t need to be hurt.”

However, Stallone was not convinced and suggested Tyson “spared” Paul in a post on Instagram. “Just to set my personal record straight,” The ‘Rocky’ actor wrote. “Business is business. SOMETIMES you have to do hard things and sacrifice for the sake of helping your FAMILY….

“I have known this unbelievable athlete since he’s 19 years old and what we saw was him giving one of the great Oscar winning performances of all time!!!! Please, Jake, be grateful, HE SPARED YOUR LIFE!

“Trust me …..Keep punching Mike, there will never be a MAN like you, a GLADIATOR like you, and a SOUL like you! Keep punching champion of champions! I remember once I bumped into him and thought I was hit by runaway BULLDOZER!!!”

Stallone’s post prompted an angry response from Paul in the comments section, with the 27-year-old writing: “Always looked up to you as kid, but now you are a spreader of lies against my name. Sad to see you fall. Maybe it’s all the plastic surgery.”

Five days later, Stallone edited the post and apologised to Paul, writing: “Just to set my personal record straight … upon Second, viewing the best man won that night. My apologies. Keep punching.” However, the post has now been deleted altogether.

Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone has apologised after claiming Tyson “spared” Paul ( 
Image:
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Paul was forced to respond to a series of claims questioning the legitimacy of the fight, with his promotional company releasing a statement. “This is not the first time Jake Paul has faced unfounded skepticism or outright disbelief as a professional athlete, and frankly, the claim that his bout must have been rigged is just the latest backhanded compliment to come his way,” MVP’s co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said.

“From day one in this sport, people have doubted his abilities—unable to reconcile how someone with his background has accomplished so much in such a short time. Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continuously set historic records that speak for themselves. This event, which broke attendance and viewership milestones for a professional sporting event, is yet another example of his ability to deliver on the biggest stage.

“As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who try to discredit his achievements. We embrace the doubt—it only fuels Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”