The promoter behind the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight is responding to “unfounded claims” that the match was rigged

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions said in a statement Monday that recent speculation that Paul’s record-breaking Nov. 15 match against Mike Tyson was rigged or scripted was “false and unfounded.”

The company, which partnered with Netflix on the world’s most streamed sporting event in history, insisted it followed all appropriate regulations for a game approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).

“Both fighters gave their best in good faith with the goal of winning the fight,” MVP’s statement said. “There were absolutely no restrictions, contractual or otherwise, on any of the fighters. Each boxer could use his entire arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR Boxing Rules.”

Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over former heavyweight champion Tyson (50-7, 44 KOs). The judges scored 80-72, 79-73, 79-73, with the former YouTube star winning the impressive bout 78-18 in eight two-minute rounds.

The event drew a record-breaking attendance with 72,300 fans in attendance on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, resulting in total revenue of $18,117,072, a record for boxing and mixed martial events outside of Las Vegas Vegas. Netflix saw the battle peak with a record 65 million concurrent streams.

However, the reaction to the fight brought questions about its authenticity from big names in the sport, including Hall of Famer Oscar de la Hoya, who posted on social media: “Everyone is talking about how staged this fight was. I think that was it.” Scripted and I think Tyson was certainly held back.

“Look, I’m a fighter and I can see it. It is on her file and has been sanctioned. Jake Paul paid to have the W added to his record! For what? To your personal satisfaction? I keep telling you, if you want to be a real fighter, be like you say it. Who is next? You have to fight against real fighters.

Paul himself fueled some of the rumors when he was asked in the post-match press conference if he had taken his foot off the gas in round three. “Yes definitely. Definitely a little bit,” he told reporters. “I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt anyone who didn’t need to be hurt.”

MVP said it was “illogical and pointless” to suggest the company would risk a new and potentially lucrative partnership with Netflix by breaking the rules.

“Trash talk and speculation are commonplace in sport, and athletes and organizers must tolerate nonsensical comments, jokes and opinions. But to suggest anything other than the full commitment of these fighters is not only naive, but an insult to the work they have put into their craft for the sport itself.”

MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian defended Paul, a YouTube millionaire turned professional athlete.

“From day one in this sport, people doubted his abilities and couldn’t imagine how someone with his background could achieve so much in such a short time,” Bidarian said Monday. “Jake has not only proven himself repeatedly, but he has continually set historical records that speak for themselves. …As long as Jake continues to exceed expectations, there will always be those who seek to discredit his accomplishments. We accept the doubt, it only motivates Jake to work harder and achieve greater success.”