Mike Tyson’s controversial return to boxing ended in a one-sided defeat on Friday, with Youtuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul cruising to victory by unanimous decision against the heavyweight icon in Texas.

Tyson, 58, barely landed a punch during the eight-round bout at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, with Paul winning by big margins on all three cards — 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.

Paul, 27, used his superior speed and movement to dominate the ageing Tyson with ease, and had the former undisputed heavyweight champion in trouble after landing a flurry of punches in the third round.

Yet the younger fighter was unable to land the knockout blow he had promised to deliver during Thursday’s ill-tempered weigh-in, where Tyson slapped him across the face.

Tyson, however, looked every bit of his 58 years, managing to land only a handful of meaningful punches during the fight, watched by a live crowd of around 70,000 spectators with an estimated millions more tuning in around the world.

Final statistics showed Tyson connected with just 18 of 97 punches thrown while Paul threw some 278 punches and landed 78 of them.

As the final seconds of the eighth round counted down, Paul could even afford to bow in respect to Tyson before the bell sounded.

“First and foremost, Mike Tyson, it’s such an honor. Let’s give it up for Mike,” Paul said after embracing Tyson following his win.

“He’s the greatest to ever do it. He’s the GOAT, he’s a legend. I’m inspired by him and we wouldn’t be here today without him.

“This man is an icon and it’s just an honor to be able to fight him. He’s obviously the toughest, baddest man on the planet; it was really tough like I expected it to be.”

– ‘I came to fight’ –

Tyson, meanwhile, said he was satisfied with his performance despite the one-sided nature of the defeat.

“I came to fight,” he said. “I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself… I’m just happy with what I can do.”

Tyson had fought with a brace on his right knee but said it had not impacted his performance.

“I can’t use that as an excuse. If I did I wouldn’t be in here,” he said.

Tyson, meanwhile, praised the quality of his opponent Paul, who has successfully parlayed a career as a popular Youtuber and content creator into a string of lucrative boxing contests such as Friday’s event, bankrolled and broadcast by streaming giant Netflix.

“He’s a very good fighter,” said Tyson, who refused to rule out the possibility that he might even fight again.

“I don’t know. It depends on the situation,” said Tyson. Pressed on whether Friday was his last fight he added: “I don’t think so.”

Tyson was reportedly paid $20 million to sign up for Friday’s contest, which came 19 years after his last officially sanctioned professional bout, a defeat to Irish journeyman Kevin McBride in 2005.

The former heavyweight champion’s return to the ring had been greeted with dismay across the boxing world, which had dismissed Friday’s contest as a macabre circus that risked injuring the boxing icon.

Those concerns deepened in May when the fight — initially set for July — was postponed after Tyson suffered a medical scare during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. Tyson later revealed he had vomited blood caused by an “ulcer flare-up.”

Tyson, though, brushed off the concerns for his health, insisting that his critics were mostly jealous that he remains a box-office draw decades after his 1980s peak when he terrorised the heavyweight division.

Tyson tried to recall that era of dominance in his ring walk on Friday, marching into the arena in his signature black trunks with a black poncho draped over his body.

Yet that was as close as Tyson came to reflecting the fighter he once was, with Paul comfortably keeping him at arm’s length throughout the contest.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles and 14 other countries have confirmed their place at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Super Eagles qualification was sealed on Thursday thanks to Libya’s 1-0 win away to Rwanda in Kigali in Group D.

Despite confirming their place, the Eagles went on to battle the Benin Republic to a 1-1 draw following Victor Osimhen’s late header.

Aside from the Super Eagles, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda all confirmed their places on Thursday.

Tunisia clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Madagascar, courtesy of Ali El Abdi’s stoppage-time header, ensuring their record 18th consecutive AFCON appearance.

South Africa and Uganda advanced without taking to the pitch, cementing the top two places in Group K after Congo lost 3-2 to South Sudan.

Gabon qualified from Group B without playing, as their closest rival, the Central African Republic, lost 1-0 to Lesotho.

For four-time AFCON winners Black Stars of Ghana, their qualification hopes were revived after Sudan suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Niger, setting up a tense finish in Group F.

However, Ghana must win their remaining two fixtures and hope Sudan falter in their last match against Angola.

Also, Algeria, already qualified alongside Equatorial Guinea from Group E, dropped their first points of the campaign in a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea in stifling Malabo heat.

The AFCON 2025 will be hosted by Morocco, December from 2025 to January 2026.

This is the second time Morocco will host the tournament, having first doing so in 1988.

Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles goalkeeper, has announced the passing of his father.

On Friday, Nwabali expressed his grief on Instagram, sharing a post with a tearful emoji.

While the goalkeeper did not disclose the cause of death, he shared an emotional tribute, saying, “Rest in peace, Dad.”

More Details later…

Nigeria’s Super Eagles were among four teams to secure their places at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday, even before taking to the pitch.

Gabon, South Africa, and Uganda also booked their tickets to the prestigious tournament in Morocco as results in their respective groups worked in their favor.

The Super Eagles’ qualification was sealed after Libya defeated Rwanda 1-0 in a Group D fixture.

This result ensured Nigeria finished in the top two of their group, guaranteeing their spot at the finals.

Later, the Super Eagles played out a 1-1 draw with the Benin Republic to confirm their status as Group D winners.Elsewhere, Tunisia made headlines with a dramatic 93rd-minute winner in their 3-2 victory over Madagascar.

The hard-fought win not only secured their place at the tournament but also marked their 17th AFCON qualification, extending their record as one of the competition’s most consistent participants.

The current AFCON title holders, Ivory Coast, had already secured their spot earlier, joining an impressive lineup of qualified teams that includes Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Angola, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal.

This elite group reflects the diverse and competitive nature of African football, with powerhouse teams and emerging nations earning their places at the continental showpiece.

AFCON 2025, set to take place in Morocco, promises to deliver high-stakes matches and showcase the best of African football talent. With Morocco’s automatic qualification as hosts, the tournament is already shaping up to be a significant spectacle for fans across the continent and beyond.

For Nigeria, the qualification is a testament to the Super Eagles’ resilience and dominance in African football.

Led by coach Jose Peseiro, the team has demonstrated consistency in their performances during the qualifiers, blending experienced players like Victor Osimhen and Wilfred Ndidi with emerging talents such as Gift Orban and Victor Boniface.

Meanwhile, Gabon, South Africa, and Uganda will also relish their hard-earned qualification.

Their successful campaigns reflect the growing competitiveness of African football, where every point and result in the qualifiers carries immense significance.

As the qualification process wraps up, more teams will be confirmed in the coming days, further completing the roster of nations set to compete for the prestigious title in 2025.

The excitement and anticipation for AFCON 2025 continue to build, with fans eagerly awaiting another chapter in the storied history of African football’s premier competition.

Almost four decades after his professional debut and 19 years since his retirement, 58-year-old Mike Tyson is set to make a comeback in the ring on Friday in a Netflix-sponsored fight that has sparked significant backlash within the boxing community.

Tyson, who was a dominant force in the heavyweight division during the late 1980s, will once again put on the gloves to face 27-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul in an officially sanctioned match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home to the Dallas Cowboys.

Originally scheduled for July, the fight was delayed in May after Tyson needed medical attention due to vomiting blood on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles caused by a bleeding ulcer.

This incident has led to widespread criticism of Friday’s match, with many labelling it a grim spectacle that puts Tyson’s health at unnecessary risk. Tyson’s last professional fight took place in 2005, ending in a technical knockout loss to Irish fighter Kevin McBride, who won after Tyson quit on his stool.

“This shouldn’t be going on.”

“Mike Tyson retired from boxing 20 years ago and was already worn out,” British promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.

“If anyone thinks Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no concern for him, or you’re being reckless. This shouldn’t be happening.”

Hearn’s promotional partner, Frank Warren, expressed a similar view.

“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Comparing the fight to a roadside accident, Warren added, “You’re on the motorway, and everyone’s slowing down just to look at a crash — that’s what this is.”

Tyson, who is said to be making approximately $20 million from the fight, has shrugged off worries about his health, asserting that his critics are driven by envy.

“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he responded earlier this year. “Those who criticise wish they were in my place. No one else can do this.”

AFP

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong says the team is determined to pick all the three points against Benin Republic in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Thursday to seal the ticket to the finals.

The game will take place at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where Benin have adopted as their home ground.

But it is much more than such to Nigeria who lost the final of the 2023 AFCON to the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire back in February at the venue, where they recorded some intriguing victories in the run to the final.

Nigeria go into the game on top of Group D with 10 points from four matches. A draw could still be a fair result for the Eagles, as it would be enough to pick one of the two slots in the group.

However, a win would without doubt cap an impressive campiagn so far. The Austin Eguavoen-led side are unbeaten in the qualifiers and particularly against the Cheetahs, they would hope to maintain their unbeaten run against them in AFCON qualifiers and further extend their overall record to seven games without a defeat.

Benin shocked Nigeria in June, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a 2-1 triumph, with the Al-Kholood defender not in the squad under former Nigerian coach, Finidi George.

But Troost-Ekong who would be making his 75th appearance for the Eagles in the game, said he and his teammates have faced Benin in recent times and are aware of how good they are.

“The last game we played against Benin was in October if I’m correct, we won at home. We know Benin is a good team, Gernot Rohr was my national team coach for over five years.

“He knows the team very well, we’ve played against Benin several times, so this is going to be a difficult game,” he said at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

“But I think here at this Stadium where we have some amazing memories from earlier this year, we will be very ready, we feel at home here in Abidjan, yea.

“I’m confident that we can do the job by winning tomorrow ( Thursday).and that is what we are going out to do, but we know it is going to be a difficult game.

“So, we have to be at our best. What I’ve seen so far in training and the spirit in the camp has so far been amazing, though.”