IRVING, Texas — Under different circumstances, perhaps even a week ago, the absurdity of this situation might have been perceived differently. How do you react to a boxing match between a 58-year-old sporting legend and a 27-year-old “content creator,” when the only reason for the matchup seems to be society’s unquenchable thirst for outrageous entertainment and a media industry willing to spend heavily to satisfy that craving?

What are your thoughts supposed to be? What are you meant to observe?

The fight scheduled for Friday between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul is nothing short of a circus. It embodies America.

If this matchup had occurred on its original date in July, the implications might not have been as striking. Now, just over a week after Donald Trump’s re-election, the significance is clear.

No matter your political stance, the currents that led to his electoral victory mirror a culture that has evolved much like how an exhibition boxing match featuring two non-professional fighters has become the most talked-about boxing event in the last ten years.

This event not only exists outside the usual norms and regulations of a sport rife with issues and corruption but is a direct result of the absurdity that prevails on social media—a force that has become immensely influential and profitable in America.

What is more outrageous? A YouTube personality, who only took up boxing a few years ago, believing—possibly rightly—that he represents the future of a sport once dominated by legends like Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Mayweather? Or the fact that Tyson, edging closer to retirement age than to his last formal match in 2005, has genuine motives for participating in this fight beyond just earning a hefty paycheck and promoting his cannabis brand?

“I’m not gonna lose,” Tyson declared at a press event where he spoke little but wore nostalgic expressions for avid fans raising their phones for photos of a figure that embodies their childhood memories.

We recognize that we are being manipulated. Yet millions are indifferent.

Leading up to and following the recent presidential election, a significant theme highlighted the power of “influencers,” which include various figures from comedians to conspiracy theorists, and even a woman whose fame erupted after making a humorous remark about oral sex during an on-the-street interview that went viral.

Once, it would have been seen as a sign of a frivolous society for political candidates to scramble for appearances beside such influencers. Now, analysts refer to it as engaging with the electorate where they are.

The implications of this shift in American civic engagement remain uncertain, but if politics has succumbed to an attention-driven economy that prioritizes narrative and storytelling over tradition and expertise, then the world of sports cannot remain unaffected.

This is why the outcomes of Friday night, as well as the anticipated success of the event, should not be overlooked by the sports industry at large.

What’s going on here transcends a simple boxing match. It serves as an experiment to determine whether Netflix and one of the most renowned social media figures can craft an illusion of legitimacy from what traditionally would be considered a farce. What constitutes a major boxing event without a championship, lacking endorsement from recognized governing bodies, devoid of standard rules, and not even permitted to be bet on in at least six states that usually allow gambling?

It’s nothing. Yet, it’s everything.

For the last five years, sports leagues have contemplated how the shift of viewers from cable and broadcast TV to streaming platforms could impact their economics and operational models.

Thus far, they’ve only dipped their toes in. The NFL and NBA have engaged in minor agreements with Amazon while keeping most of their broadcasting on traditional TV.

Netflix had mainly avoided live sports, preferring to focus on its successful sports documentaries due to the steep costs associated with securing rights. However, this year, Netflix has started experimenting with live broadcasts, including a crossover golf event featuring F1 drivers and PGA Tour players, a special exhibition match in Las Vegas with Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, and a three-year agreement with the NFL to air games on Christmas Day.

The so-called “Netflix Slam” featuring Nadal and Alcaraz was intriguing. Tennis exhibitions.

Typically, non-competitive events can be pretty dull, but this particular one was impressively staged with professional commentators, high production quality, numerous celebrities in attendance, and a trophy presentation that rivaled a Grand Slam championship. If you weren’t aware, you might have assumed you were witnessing an elite sporting event — just without the commercial interruptions.

The viewership statistics remain unclear, as Netflix has not disclosed, and likely won’t reveal, any numbers.

This event demonstrated that a significant, high-profile sports event can attract millions to a streaming platform without being associated with a conventional tournament like the US Open. In this instance, Netflix and Jake Paul have crafted what some would call the boxing match of the decade, successfully bypassing the pay-per-view model by matching Paul against a fading cultural icon who hasn’t engaged in serious boxing for a long time.

“No one has had a boxing career like mine,” Paul stated during one of the few moments Wednesday that felt less exaggerated. “It’ll be analyzed and critiqued, but I’ve reached the top by embracing risks.”

This move is remarkably bold. It also shows ingenuity.

In light of Trump’s second election, it’s evident that many Americans, possibly a slight majority, show little concern about the flexibility of our institutions. If this sentiment extends to the U.S. government, it is undoubtedly reflected in the world of sports as they adapt the traditional ways of engaging with their audiences.

Does this imply that the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, or the International Olympic Committee are on the brink of being overshadowed by whatever outlandish concept the next influencer dreams up?

Not at all. However, millions have witnessed Paul’s transformation from someone once an object of ridicule on YouTube to a person who has successfully rebranded himself as a credible professional athlete.

To overlook the appeal and effectiveness of a celebrity circumventing the traditional system to forge a new reality is to ignore what American voters have chosen to embrace twice in the past decade.

This is an undeniable aspect of our culture, for better or worse. And Netflix, along with Jake Paul, have honed in on this fact for their own gain.