Adam Hill: Netflix, Jake Paul, Mike Tyson cash in on our societal stupidity

Adam Hill, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Nov 16, 2024

Published in Boxing

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LAS VEGAS — It’s our fault.

Let’s get that out of the way before we take any kind of deep dive into the embarrassment of a travesty we participated in as a society Friday night.

We all decided that there was some sort of reason, ranging from boredom to genuine excitement to morbid curiosity, to log in to a streaming service and watch a YouTuber punch an elderly man.

It went just about the way anyone who was paying attention would have expected, especially once 58-year old Mike Tyson already looked exhausted from making the long walk to the AT&T Stadium ring in his old-man YMCA basketball knee brace.

Tyson, probably the most feared person to ever step in a boxing ring, was reduced to a sad, hobbling shell of himself against Jake Paul, looking as if he were desperate to hear the bell each round so he could sit down on his stool again.

Collecting a check

People have often told me that had Tupac Shakur lived long enough, he would have eventually disappointed me and the millions inspired by his art and words by reaching an age where he no longer had the same fire and passion and beliefs.

I never truly believed that until watching Tyson on Friday.

But again, that’s on us. Not him. Not at all. Tyson collected a check. He cashed in on the memories he conjured within us of watching what he used to do to people in the ring. He got a massive payday, and nobody should have any problem with that.

Same with Paul, to an extent. As detestable as he and his brother are at times, they are brilliant marketers. The faces of the content creation generation have done a tremendous job of turning views into dollars, so good for them.

Is it great that Paul generated so much cash Friday by fighting a senior citizen? I can’t say I’m totally comfortable with it. But he knew people were going to watch.

And they did. The numbers released by Netflix on Saturday are astounding, yet somehow not surprising.

Around 60 million households tuned in to the main event live, in addition to the about 6,000 bars and restaurants that paid to order the broadcast nationwide.

My friends and I stopped by two spots here in town, and both were packed. The Golden Knights’ game at Utah, which featured an exciting finish with actual athletes, was relegated to a couple of side screens with no sound.

Sad state of affairs, but it’s definitely what the market dictated.

The co-main event on the boxing card, a controversial thriller of a rematch between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor, is likely to go down as the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in U.S. history. They deserve it. If there’s a silver lining from this mess, this is it. Serrano and Taylor getting the spotlight they earned.

Plenty of people need to be embarrassed, and the viewers are first on that list. Social media echoed the same sentiments the overwhelming majority of people in the bars expressed: mockery, steadily turning to outrage. But there wasn’t enough looking in the mirror.

What did you really expect? And also, what does it say about you as consumers that Paul’s people and Netflix know there is so much money to be made off you with such a trash product?

And, yes, I’m including myself.

Blame to go around

Netflix can also be put on the list of parties that need to share blame. Not for airing the event, but for not meeting the challenge. The broadcast was a mess.

They are making a big push for live sports and events. They must get better. One would have expected them to learn from the “Love Is Blind” live reunion fiasco. Clearly, they did not.

Oh, and the Texas Athletic Commission. There is a reason events that have no credibility, and should have no chance at being approved, often choose venues in the state. They should be ashamed of themselves.

We still haven’t even gotten into the fact that Paul’s comments after the fight essentially admitted to fixing the outcome on some level. He showed restraint and heart by not going for a knockout once he realized Tyson was basically just a punching bag. But millions of dollars were wagered on this fight, and plenty of it was on method and time of victory.

Probably would have been helpful for bettors to know if one fighter wasn’t even going to try for a knockout. Paul’s fights have always been the subject of speculation about being on the level. This should be enough to stop booking bets on his bouts, but oddsmakers did big business Friday, so don’t expect any changes.

Overall, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of people comfortable with what happened on Friday after so many were fired up to see what happened. That switch flipped very early in the fight.

Let’s hope that feeling is remembered the next time we are asked to ignore reality for such a stupid event.