Sports
Jake Paul’s business partner talks claims of rigged Mike Tyson fight, says Paul is boxing's 'greatest gift'
A sports icon came out of retirement last Friday, leading to decibels that are seldom touched at a sporting event, as 58-year-old Mike Tyson, in his first professional fight since 2005, battled Jake Paul in front of more than 70,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Arlingon, Texas.
But by the middle of the fight, boo-birds rang out in the crowd, and with Paul winning by unanimous decision, accusations of a rigged fight ran all over social media.
If you know Jake Paul, none of that bothers him. He thrives off the hate and has embraced the role of the heel in boxing and life.
“He’s the ‘problem child,’ people want to boo him, and that’s the special sauce that he has,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
(Cooper Neill/Getty Images for Netflix)
Bidarian and Paul co-founded MVP together three years ago, and their promotions have helped put women’s boxing on the map with two spectacles by Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, the second of which was the co-main event last week in Arlington.
Although Bidarian admitted that the 60 million households watching the fight and the largest gate outside of Las Vegas ever was probably more because of Tyson, he said Paul “played a massive role” in the historic event.
It was historic by just about every metric: attendance, viewers, gate, bets placed, social media discussion. But the overwhelming reaction to the fight was that it was a disappointment.
“I don’t care what people have to say. They’re always going to have something to say. It is what it is,” Paul told Fox News Digital after the fight.
Added Bidarian in his interview, “The only win there was if Mike Tyson knocked out Jake Paul, otherwise, the haters would have found a way to complain no matter what.”
But with it being a Paul spectacle, there is, once again, some speculation about the fight being rigged, fixed or staged.
Jake Paul, left, is announced as the winner over Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2024. (Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix ©2024)
Some fans have tried to point out instances in which the former heavyweight champ could have easily knocked out Paul with an uppercut; some have said that Tyson was biting on his gloves to keep himself from going wild in the ring. Some fans also believe that there was no way a boxer with just four years of experience could have possibly beaten the “Baddest Man on the Planet.”
But all of those claims are BS, Bidarian said.
“In terms of this fight specifically, I will say the following: It was sanctioned by the athletic commission. Our partner was Netflix, who is the biggest media company in America and is a public entity. There was professional sports betting on the event,” Bidarian said. “So, if you were to rig such competition, it is a federal crime. And myself, Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, executives from Netflix would all be going to jail, they would be risking their entire company, and we would be risking our entire lives to do that. It is preposterous that people even suggest that this was in any way anything other than a professional fight. … That was not the case in any Jake fight, let alone this one.”
“This was 100% real from beginning to end,” he added. “It was so real that the guy had an ulcer, and we took a five-month break to give him time to heal the ulcer to be able to perform at his best level. If it was staged, why did we even postpone it? We could have just moved forward with the date: ‘Oh, you have an ulcer, you’re not going to hit each other. It’s going to be fine.’ What are people talking about?”
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul exchange punches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
JAKE PAUL-MIKE TYSON SNOOZER DRAWS HARSH CRITICISM: ‘NOT GREAT FOR BOXING’
Even some more high-profile fighters at the top of their game have called out Paul, including Ryan Garcia, lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. Bidarian said that “with the exception of one,” Paul is interested in “all” of the inquiries.
“What’s next for Jake is whatever Jake wants it to be. He is the biggest face in all of boxing. … His goal is to be a world champion, so you’ll see us do things that give him those opportunities. And our goal is to think outside the box, do disruptive things and capture the imagination. We did that last Friday, and we’ll continue to do that.”
It’s no secret that Paul is disliked, and many think this is all just a marketing play. It’s no secret that Paul is a marketing whiz, and some of his opponents have been selected rather wisely. But as much of a businessman as Paul may be, Bidarian said he sees him “first and foremost” as a boxer.
“That’s what he dedicates anywhere from 70 to 75% of his time,” Bidarian said.
At the same time, Paul puts emphasis on “professional” in the term “professional boxer.”
“He is the most professional boxer in professional boxing. He is a businessman, he conducts himself like a business, he shows up on time, he delivers every line you need to deliver, he does the promo when no one else wants to. …” Bidarian said. “He knows how to sell. [Dallas Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones said to Jake Paul, ‘Kid, you’re one of the greatest marketers in all of sports.’ And that’s true. He’s four years into this sport, and he’s co-headlining a record-setting event.”
That’s why Bidarian has a rather strong message to those who don’t believe Paul is a serious boxer.
Jake Paul celebrates after his victory over Mike Tyson. (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Show me another athlete, including their amateur or high school career, who has four and a half years of experience that has achieved as much as he has achieved inside and outside of the ring,” Bidarian said. “Even in that performance against Mike Tyson, who is 58, is very unique for someone who is four years into doing a sport. … Jake Paul has gone into the lions’ den and showed that he outboxed a much more skilled boxer in his heyday than Jake Paul, and that’s a lot more impressive than 99% of boxers do in their 10th, 12th, 15th fight.”
“More importantly, Jake Paul has put on for this sport like no athlete has before,” he continued. “He’s put on for the women in this sport, he’s put on for the youth in this sport, he’s put his own money into renovating gyms to give access to young boys and girls to learn about the sport of boxing. He’s partnered with USA Boxing to push amateur interest in the sport.
“He’s the greatest gift the sport has ever seen, in my opinion.”
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Sports
It’s Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons
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The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.
This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason.
Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game 5 in the second-round NBA playoffs in Detroit on May 13, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)
It isn’t just the Cavs’ fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.
We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn’t regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He’s averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That’s not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.
The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.
Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds in the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on May 11, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn’t there yet.
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Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn’t everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.
I don’t see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven’t seen him do that in the postseason, yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn’t like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.
If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn’t be as they are a veteran team.
This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that’s weak analysis, but I’m taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.
Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Murrieta Mesa 10, Valley View 0
Orange Lutheran 10, Millikan 0
Chino Hills 2, El Modena 1
Etiwanda 14, Agoura 13
Palos Verdes 3, Riverside King 2
Cypress 4, Fullerton 2
Ayala 11, Charter Oak 1
Riverside Poly 7, California 3
Norco 2, Marina 1
DIVISION 3
Rancho Cucamonga 9, Paloma Valley 1
Great Oak 5, West Torrance 2
Edison 8, El Segundo 5
El Toro 9, Colton 0
Murrieta Valley 9, Redondo Union 8
North Torrance 5, Beaumont 0
West Ranch 7, Trabuco Hills 6
San Juan Hills 8, Riverside North 7
Oak Park 10, Cerritos Valley Christian 4
Highland 7, Northview 2
La Serna 4, Carter 0
Dos Pueblos 5, Crescenta Valley 0
Liberty 10, Arcadia 3
DIVISION 5
Anaheim 11, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0
Patriot 11, Arrowhead Christian 9
Temple City 9, Rancho Christian 6
Grace 11, Buena Park 0
Crean Lutheran 3, Alemany 2
Shadow Hills 8, Cerritos 3
San Marcos 10, Leuzinger 0
South El Monte 7, Long Beach Wilson 5
Covina 11, Garden Grove Santiago 1
Muir 8, Rio Hondo Prep 7
Santa Monica 6, Katella 5
Ontario 6, Norwalk 2
Northwood 18, Duarte 11
DIVISION 7
Bloomington 9, Fillmore 8
Miller 11, Savanna 3
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 11, Riverside Springs Magnolia 4
Faith Baptist 18, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 4
Twentynine Palms 16, Rancho Alamitos 15
Riverside Notre Dame 12, Costa Mesa 2
Firebaugh 9, Pioneer 8
Chadwick 6, Desert Christian Academy 1
Cathedral City 2, Artesia 1
Orange 9, Bellflower 3
Santa Ana 10, Hawthorne 0
Culver City 9, Temecula Prep 8
DIVISION 8
Banning 20, Redlands Adventist 3
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1
La Habra at Murrieta Mesa, noon
Chino Hills at Orange Lutheran
Etiwanda at Westlake
La Mirada at Palos Verdes, noon
Garden Grove Pacifica at Cypress, noon
Ayala at JSerra
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Oaks Christian, 1 p.m.
Norco at Riverside Poly
DIVISION 2
Bonita at Ganesha, 11 a.m.
Whittier Christian at Warren
Simi Valley at St. Paul
Moorpark at Lakewood St. Joseph, 11 a.m.
Temescal Canyon at San Clemente, 12:30 p.m.
Huntington Beach at Camarillo, Monday
Saugus at Vista Murrieta, 12:30 p.m.
Mater Dei at Gahr, noon
DIVISION 3
Great Oak at Rancho Cucamonga
Edison at El Toro, Monday
Murrieta Valley at North Torrance
West Ranch at San Juan Hills
Riverside Prep at Oak Park, 12:30 p.m.
La Serna at Highland
Dos Pueblos at La Salle, Monday
Villa Park at Liberty, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 4
St. Bonaventure at Harvard-Westlake, 11 a.m.
Apple Valley at Oxnard
Don Lugo at Monrovia, 1:30 p.m.
La Quinta at Mira Costa
Rio Mesa at Mission Viejo, 10 a.m.
Oak Hills at Sunny Hills
Ramona at Paramount
Burbank Burroughs at Rosary, Monday
DIVISION 5
Anaheim vs. Santa Clara at Beck Park
Temple City at Patriot
Crean Lutheran at Grace
Viewpoint at Shadow Hills
San Marcos at Irvine University, noon
South El Monte at Covina
Santa Monica at Muir, 10:30 a.m.
Northwood at Ontario, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 6
Irvine at Lakeside
Alhambra at Heritage
Eastside at Granite Hills, noon
El Monte at St. Genevieve
Sierra Vista vs. Southlands Christian at Brea Canyon Cutoff Rd
Hesperia Christian vs. St. Monica Prep at Memorial Park, 2 p.m.
Arroyo at Lancaster
San Jacinto at Jurupa Valley
DIVISION 7
Bloomington at Ramona Convent
Miller at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
Faith Baptist at Twentynine Palms, Monday
Firebaugh vs. Riverside Notre Dame at Ramona
Chadwick at Cathedral City
Orange at Victor Valley, 11 a.m.
Santa Ana at Culver City, Monday
Windward at Edgewood, Monday at 3:30 p.m.
DIVISION 8
ACE at Avalon
Bolsa Grande vs. San Bernardino, Monday at San Bernardino College
Workman at Glendale
Cobalt at Santa Rosa Academy
Bell Gardens vs. Brentwood at John Anson Ford Park
Pomona Catholic vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at Laguna Hills, 2 p.m.
Fontana at Banning
Hawthorne MSA at Arroyo Valley, 1 p.m.
Note: Quarterfinals May 20; Semifinals May 23; Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.
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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.
However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.
Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.
Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley watch from the tenth green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.
“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”
Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.
Justin Thomas plays his shot on the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
GARRICK HIGGO SHARES BAFFLING COMMENTS WHILE REACTING TO TWO-SHOT PENALTY AT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.
It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.
Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.
Keegan Bradley prepares to putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”
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