Terence Crawford watched Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson like everyone else in November 2024, but he did not see a feel-good spectacle. He saw something that bothered him.

Tyson, 58 at the time, stepped back into a professional ring for the first time in nearly 20 years and lost a unanimous decision to the much younger Paul. In the aftermath, debate swirled. Some praised the event’s magnitude. Others questioned what they had witnessed. Crawford landed firmly in the second camp.

Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, the retired 42-0 champion did not hedge. “I think it was scripted,” Crawford said, per MMAFighting. He pointed to moments where Tyson bit his gloves and appeared restrained. To Crawford, it looked like a legend fighting more than just an opponent. “It was taking all that he could not to hit him,” he added, calling the scene “heartbreaking to see an icon go out like that.”

Crawford Questions the Motive

Crawford made it clear he believes Tyson never needed that fight. “There’s other ways,” he said when discussing financial incentives. He argued that someone with Tyson’s name recognition and relationships could have secured money without absorbing punches at that stage of life.

Article Continues Below

“He shouldn’t have been in there. At all,” Crawford said. He emphasized that the issue was not Tyson’s toughness, but the optics of watching a former heavyweight king struggle against a social media star turned boxer.

The conversation also touched on Tyson’s future. Tyson has said an exhibition with Floyd Mayweather remains in play. When asked whether that matchup is still happening, Tyson responded confidently: “Yeah, it’s happening. You think I’d give that up? I was minding my business. He challenged me.”

Tyson also addressed health concerns after an ulcer flare-up delayed the Paul fight. “I feel incredible,” he said, noting he dropped from an extra large shirt size to a large.

Crawford’s comments ensure the Paul-Tyson spectacle will continue to spark questions long after the final bell.