Jake Paul won a unanimous decision over Mike Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Friday night in Arlington, Texas.
All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, with Paul even stopping to pay homage with a bow to Tyson before the final bell sounded at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73.
Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn’t try much else the rest of the way.
Even fewer rounds and shorter rounds couldn’t do much to generate action for a 58-year-old in his first sanctioned pro fight in almost 20 years, facing a boxing neophyte with hopes of fighting for championships somewhere in the future.
Paul was more aggressive after the quick burst from Tyson in the opening seconds, but the punching wasn’t very efficient. There were quite a few wild swings and misses.
Tyson mostly sat back and waited for Paul to come to him, with a few exceptions.
It was the first sanctioned fight since 2005 for Tyson. Paul started fighting a little more than four years ago.
GOLF
The path is clear for Rory McIlroy to clinch the year-long Race to Dubai title and be crowned the European tour’s best player for a sixth time.
He’s well in contention to win the season-ending World Tour Championship, too.
McIlroy hit a fairway wood from 265 yards to 15 feet at No. 18 and two-putted for a closing birdie in his second round on Friday, a 3-under 69 leaving the No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman one stroke off the lead held by France’s Antoine Rozner (65) on 9-under par.
McIlroy was tied with Tyrrell Hatton (69) for second place in the tournament but his lead in the year-long Race to Dubai standings was looking impregnable.
Thriston Lawrence is the only player who can stop McIlroy winning that title — and to do that the South African needs a victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates. That appeared unlikely, with a 71 leaving Lawrence at level par and nine shots off the lead at the halfway stage.
“At this point, I’m just trying to win the golf tournament,” McIlroy said, “and if I win the golf tournament, then everything else that happens alongside that is nice.”
McIlroy, a former Dubai resident and a three-time winner at the Earth Course, shared the lead with Hatton overnight and raced two strokes clear after making four birdies in his opening seven holes, including a 25-foot putt at No. 3. He faded after that, missing the fairway on each of his next three holes and making two bogeys.
Six Race to Dubai titles would put McIlroy level with the late Seve Ballesteros and two behind Colin Montgomerie’s record haul.
Rozner, ranked No. 154, was the surprise leader after making six birdies in an eight-hole span from No. 9.
Justin Lower had another 6-under 65 without taking advantage of the par 5s on Friday, giving him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
Lower opened with three birdies in five holes and seized control with three straight birdies starting at No. 12 with a 6-foot putt. He rolled in a 20-footer from off the green at the 13th and made a sharp-breaking 15-footer on the next hole. The streak ended when his bunker shot on the 15th grazed the cup.
He was at 12-under 130, two shots ahead of Robby Shelton (64) and Ryan Moore (65).
Charley Hull made five birdies Friday for a 4-under 66 that gave her a two-shot lead along with a weekend date with Nelly Korda at The Annika in Belleai, Florida.
Hull, who won in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago to end a two-year winless drought, pulled away with three birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine at Pelican Golf Club.
Korda started with a bogey and finished with back-to-back birdies in her round of 68. She was two shots behind and will be in the final group with Hull.
TENNIS
Carlos Alcaraz was the big name missing when the last two semifinal spots were filled at the ATP Finals on Friday in Turin, Italy.
Alcaraz’s 7-6 (5), 6-4 loss to Alexander Zverev meant the French Open and Wimbledon champion — who has been sick this week — was eliminated from elite, eight-man tournament.
In today’s semifinals, Zverev will meet Taylor Fritz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner will play Casper Ruud.
MLB
Former Dodgers outfielder Al “The Bull” Ferrara died on Friday, the team announced. He was 84.
Ferrara was part of the Dodgers’ World Series championship teams in 1963 and 1965 and also hit 27 home runs over two-plus seasons with the San Diego Padres from 1969-71.
“We are saddened to hear the news of Al Ferrara’s passing today,” Stan Kasten, the Dodgers’ president and CEO, said in a statement. “Not only was Al a memorable player for the Dodgers in the 1960s, but he tirelessly supported the Dodgers community efforts and was one of our most committed alumni supporters. We extend our sympathies to his family.”