Jake Paul and Katie Taylor offer a striking contrast that is both amusing and revealing about the distinct realms of boxing they embody. The audacious YouTube influencer, Paul, has transitioned into a novice boxer earning $40m (£31.7m) in a staged bout, reshaping the fight industry with his bluntly effective business tactics. Taylor, on the other hand, remains the humble, pioneering Christian who has done more for female boxers globally, relying on her unyielding will to triumph in relentless battles.
They were the contrasting victors at the grand, gleaming home of the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night in Texas. Taylor and Amanda Serrano, promoted by Paul, delivered an exceptional contest that nearly rivaled their first epic fight at Madison Square Garden in April 2022. The bout was filled with grit, skill, and the kind of contentious drama that accompanies the most intense rivalries.
Paul defeated a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a humiliating spectacle that, despite the hype, was met with boos. Paul and his business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, attempted to frame it as a modern-day Rumble in the Jungle or Thrilla in Manila, but it was, in reality, a dud. Even Paul seemed to feel a pang of regret seeing Tyson in such a state, suggesting he had spared him a knockout: “Yeah, definitely. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone who didn’t need to be hurt.”
This seemingly noble admission was quickly overshadowed as Bidarian and Paul resumed their brash commentary. “It was an unbelievable display between a 58-year-old legend and a 27-year-old relatively young boxer,” Bidarian said. “He actually outboxed the boxer. Jake Paul out-boxed Mike Tyson, like he said he was going to do.” Bidarian turned to Paul: “Did you not? Like every single round.” He snorted with laughter.
Paul shrugged: “I told everyone what I was going to do – give him a boxing lesson.” They then derided two of the sport’s greats. Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, the brilliant Mexican world champion, has been a professional fighter since his debut at 15 in 2005. Canelo has lost only two of his 66 pro fights and won world titles in four weight classes. I could imagine the cold laughter dying in Canelo’s throat when Paul said: “Canelo needs me. He knows he wants a payday and he knows where the money man’s at.”
Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed world heavyweight champion, was next on their list. I recalled how Usyk stroked his moustache and grinned when telling me that he would have to fight with one arm behind his back to lend any semblance of fairness to a match with Paul – who lost to Tommy Fury, Tyson’s brother, in his only competitive fight so far. Canelo and Usyk would undoubtedly inflict serious damage on Paul, bringing decades of hard-earned experience, dazzling skill, and devastating power to the ring. Despite the hype, I suspect Paul knows he is safer and richer fighting older men or athletes who have never boxed before.
“People just love to hate me,” Paul said. “I’m easy to hate and I intentionally say things to make people hate me. I play the heel, and that’s entertainment. I started as a 17-year-old in Los Angeles in the entertainment business. But I’ve been in this sport for four and a half years and I plan on doing everything in boxing.” One day, Paul will truly believe he is as formidable as he claims and will step into the ring with a legitimate and dangerous opponent. He should be extremely cautious then, for no other sport strips away arrogance and hubris as brutally as boxing.
Taylor and Serrano understand these harsh truths and operate at an elite level far beyond the trivial skirmishes and museum scraps that define Paul’s career. “We trained so hard for those moments,” Taylor said of her monumental battle with Serrano. “Anybody’s punch can change a fight in boxing and she’s a hard puncher. She’s a very tough warrior and I was prepared.” There has always been a deep mutual respect between these two champions – but their rivalry now carries a darker edge. Serrano, aggrieved to have lost both fights by such narrow margins, sounded uncharacteristically bitter: “I knew if it went to the judges it was going to be a little shady. I chose to be great. I went up three divisions. I’m a featherweight, man.”
Serrano then posted a message online: “I’m a ruthless warrior & Katie is my buddy but damn her best attribute is her head. No punching power but hard-ass head lol.” Taylor responded: “I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty. It gets rough in there. It was an absolute slugfest, a war. This is an amazing moment in women’s boxing. Thank God for another amazing fight.” The softly spoken and deeply religious woman from Bray, just outside Dublin, can cut a figure of rare purity in this dirty business. But Taylor is a fighter to the very core of her being and, for once, she spoke forcefully about Serrano and her camp: “I knew they were complaining about the decision but I really don’t care. I’m standing here as a victor again. I’ve fought her twice, I’ve beat her twice. All the judges were in agreement so I couldn’t care less what’s being said. I’m 2 and 0 against Serrano and I’m very, very happy.”
But Taylor, unlike Paul and Bidarian, embodies class and grace. She smiled before slipping back into the more discreet shadows of victory. “It was another really close fight,” she said. “We’ve had two epic fights, two very close decisions, and I’m just proud to be part of another huge night for women’s boxing.”
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