Canadian rapper Drake lost another high-rolling bet. This time, he bet $355,000 for Mike Tyson to beat Jake Paul in a much-hyped contest live-streamed on Netflix. With 2.85 odds, Drake’s bet would have won him a final payout of $1,011,750.00 if his bet was successful.
For winning the contest, Paul took home $40 million. Tyson received $20 million.
‘Drake Curse’ Continues
Tyson and Paul fought until the eighth bout when, with a unanimous decision, Paul was announced the winner. The contest drew a massive audience of over 60 million on Netflix.
Drake lost the second time in his bet involving Jake Paul. Last year, he wagered $1.2 million for Paul to win against Tommy Fury. Fury became the first person to defeat Paul last year.
With another unsuccessful bet, the “Drake Curse” endures further. In September, Drake’s bet on Taylor Fritz beating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the US Open Men’s Singles final was unsuccessful, losing his bet of $210,000. At 3.85 odds, he would have taken home $808,500 if Fritz had won.
Drake’s betting luck isn’t all bad. He scored big on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Super Bowl in February 2024. He also cashed in $425,000 from Alex Poatan’s UFC win over Jamahal Hill in April.
No Knockout Excitement
While Drake lost his bet on the underdog Tyson, fans looking for a knockout excitement were disappointed as both returned from the ring without getting seriously hit. Many in the audience believed that Paul was not going for the kill. The fight occurred on Friday at a fully sold-out AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The intergenerational contest was between 27-year-old Jake Paul and 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
It was a one-sided fight in which Paul won convincingly; Tyson could manage to throw only a few meaningful punches. Out of 97 punches he made, he managed to connect only 18, while Paul threw 278 punches, out of which 78 landed on Tyson. The final score on the three cards is 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 (These numbers represent the scores assigned by three judges in a boxing match).
Later, Tyson shared on X, “This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets about getting in the ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.”
