Jake Paul and Mike Tyson appeared to put aside their in-ring rivalry to toast newly sworn-in President Donald Trump on Monday night, but boxing fans now claim there was never a real conflict to begin with.
The boxers, enemies in the ring just a few months ago, were more than cordial as they mingled with political heavyweights, tech titans and media moguls at the numerous galas to celebrate Trump's inauguration. in Washington DC.
Paul, 27, and Tyson, 58, joined sports stars who headlined the opening celebrations, including Conor McGregor, Dana White and Paul's brother Logan.
But instead of colliding, as they did two months ago at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the pair teamed up to provide a memorable moment of the festivities.
In a video, Tyson is seen climbing on the shoulders of his former rival while spectators chanted words of encouragement.
Both dressed in smart tuxedos for the gala event, Paul easily lifted Iron Mike, who is 31 years his senior, as the boxing legend nervously covered his face with his hands and screamed with excitement.
Jake Paul carried his former rival Mike Tyson on his shoulders at the inauguration festivities.
Paul, 27, defeated Tyson by unanimous decision in their Netflix showdown in November.
Paul shared the clip on his Instagram profile and captioned the post, 'Best friends,' which surprised many boxing fans.
The supposed enemies-turned-friends act was a little too friendly for some fans' liking, especially two months after they went head-to-head in a controversial Netflix showdown.
Many social media users claimed the viral moment was evidence that their fight, in which Tyson reportedly took home $20 million and Paul $40 million, was rigged.
“They're celebrating the rigged $20 million fight,” one user responded to the video on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Well…they look as comfortable together as the first one too…anyone stupid enough to pay for another Jake Paul fight deserves to lose their money,” fumed a second.
'Revenge right now. For real this time hahaha,' another joked.
“They're both happy they got paid,” said one fan, referring to the duo's jubilant mood, while another added: “Jake Paul and Mike Tyson keep laughing all the way to the bank…”
'Mike went home with 20 million dollars after the fight. He doesn't care,” another said of the boxing icon.
The supposed enemies-turned-friends act was a little too friendly for some fans' tastes.
'I knew that fight was fixed,' one user stated, '“fight” lol,” added another, while a third sarcastically asked: 'What fight?'
Paul easily defeated Tyson, 58, in the highly anticipated Nov. 15 fight when the former heavyweight champion landed just 18 punches as he lumbered around the ring in a futile attempt to chase his younger opponent.
The event, which generated more than $18 million in box office revenue, aired exclusively on Netflix. An estimated 65 million households watched the fight, making it the most broadcast sporting event in American history.
The lackluster result sparked several conspiracy theories and even Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin suggested the fight had been fixed due to a mysterious clause in the contract.
Others were surprised that the fight had even been sanctioned after it was initially delayed in June when Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a cross-country flight and claimed he almost died.
Paul, a YouTuber turned boxer, publicly endorsed Trump days before the election. Tyson, meanwhile, did not formally endorse the president this time around, but he has said glowing things about the new Commander in Chief over the past three decades.
Their relationship dates back to the 1980s, when Trump hosted some of Tyson's fights in the gambling town of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“I always remember him for being a good guy, paying me a lot of money,” Tyson said with a laugh in 2022 during an appearance on the New York Post Sports podcast.
Before the 2016 election, Tyson told the Huffington Post, “I should be president of the United States.” Hell yeah, big time!'