ARLINGTON, Texas — Did you honestly think he would pull it off?

Most fans hoping to see Mike Tyson defeat Jake Paul in their boxing match likely had one of two motivations.

Firstly, many find Jake Paul annoying and wanted to witness Tyson deliver a knockout to the YouTube star, which is a totally valid feeling.

Secondly, some fans, myself included, long for the excitement of the late 1980s when Tyson reigned supreme in the boxing world. This nostalgia isn’t entirely rational. If you remember where you were when Tyson defeated Michael Spinks in 91 seconds, you probably woke up with some aches and pains today, a reminder to book your next colonoscopy.

Nobody watching this match has endured 56 professional bouts, served time in prison, or lived a life that turned Tyson into a faded shadow of his former self before he retired in 2005.

If you believed that a 58-year-old Tyson could go toe-to-toe with a 27-year-old in his prime, even if that fighter’s previous bouts felt more like gimmicks, you’re not facing reality.

Growing older is a fact of life. It’s uncomfortable, it causes real pain, and if we’re fortunate, it happens to all of us.

Tyson has been fortunate to reach this stage in life, finding success as an entertainer and cannabis entrepreneur.

But as a boxer?

Those days are long gone. It was obvious from the start.

The packed stadium, millions tuning in on Netflix — we’ll touch on that later — and much of America wanted Tyson to prevail. Nostalgia grips us all in one way or another, making this bizarre matchup one of the most talked-about boxing events in a long time. It was too tempting to ignore, and in some ways, it delivered on that expectation.

AT&T Stadium was filled, although many fans were seated so far away from the ring, they might as well have been in another state. There was a mix of celebrities and content creators in attendance, giving it the feel of a grand sporting event. A few undercard matches were incredibly intense and thrilling — for instance, Katie Taylor’s controversial victory over Amanda Serrano was an unforgettable fight, despite the judges getting the final call completely wrong.)

This reminded us all that boxing, at its best, can still reach thrilling heights, although those moments are increasingly rare in recent years.

But when it came to the main event, well, let’s just say it was notable only for the fact that it happened without any serious injuries.

Tyson landed a few solid punches early on, and there was a moment when Paul seemed genuinely frightened for a round. Ultimately, Paul adjusted in the second round to create some distance, and in the third, Tyson came out aggressively, looking for the knockout punch, leading us to the most fundamental rule in sports.

Younger fighters beat older ones.

Paul won, albeit by doing the minimum required. He didn’t win due to exceptional boxing skills or a barrage of powerful hits. Despite the absurdity of this matchup, Paul secured a rather mundane and straightforward decision victory for one reason: he was fighting a 58-year-old.

“I noticed at one point, ‘He isn’t really engaging much,’ ” Paul noted. “I wasn’t sure if he was tired or what, but I could definitely see his age was starting to show.”

Paul suggested that he eased up a bit to avoid embarrassing the boxing legend and to put on a show for the crowd. He also mentioned that he sprained his ankle three weeks prior, affecting his training and aggressiveness. But don’t buy that. Until Paul faces a genuine competitor, he’ll continue to find himself in these fraud-like matches, cashing in all the way to the bank.

If you missed the event due to Netflix’s numerous technical glitches, consider yourself lucky; you really didn’t miss much.

One lasting impression from this spectacle is the missed chance for Netflix to position itself as a major player in the live sports arena. It’s difficult to determine the exact extent of the issues, but numerous social media accounts reported buffering, freezing, and other technical errors during the fight.

Viewers were understandably upset. When an event is hyped this much and the viewing experience falters, regaining that trust is a monumental task.

We’ll see how Netflix responds moving forward. And as for Paul, will he dare to risk his reputation in a real boxing match or play it safe, cashing in his earnings and finding another ploy to generate content?

But people in

Many fans voted with their feet, leaving AT&T Stadium in droves before the winner was even announced. It was clear and unexciting. If you were surprised by the outcome, that’s on you. A 58-year-old former athlete, even if they are a legend, doesn’t belong in the boxing ring.

Let’s hope we don’t fall for something like this again.