Jake Paul admitted to pulling punches instead of knocking out Mike Tyson

“I just have so much respect for him,” Paul said.

A whole lot of people tuned into Netflix – and endured streaming issues – on Friday night to watch Jake Paul fight Mike Tyson.

And folks who remember the Mike Tyson of 20 to 30 years ago would have assumed that bout would’ve ended in a knockout in Tyson’s favor, against almost anyone, much less a YouTube star turned fighter. Drake was among those who thought Tyson would surely win.

But Tyson is now 58-years-old and seemed to be hobbled Friday night by a bum knee. And anyone who watched the fight would say that Paul was in control almost the whole time. And if someone was going to suffer a knockout, it would have been Tyson at Paul’s hands.

After the match, Paul even admitted to pulling some punches and carrying Tyson, ensuring the fight would go the distance.

“I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt. … There was a point where I was like, ‘OK, he’s not really engaging back.’ And so, I don’t know if he’s tired or whatever, I could just tell that his age was showing a little bit. I just have so much respect for him.”

Tyson’s boxing record is 50-7 after losing to Paul.