WWE Icon Goldberg: Jake Paul Portrays Being 'Piece of S--t,' Praises Mike Tyson Fight

Ahead of his upcoming retirement match, WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg gave his take this week on what may have been the final boxing match of Mike Tyson's career against Jake Paul.

Speaking Thursday on his CarCast podcast (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Goldberg discussed last Friday's event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which saw Paul beat Tyson by unanimous decision in their eight-round bout.

Goldberg gave the 27-year-old Paul props for showing some restraint and not going for the knockout on the 58-year-old Tyson, saying: "Actions speak louder than words. … The piece of s--t that [Paul] portrays to many people couldn't pull the trigger [to hurt Tyson], and I commend him for that."

Tyson came out firing in the first two rounds and showed flashes of his old self, but he seemed to struggle with his balance for the rest of the contest, which is something Goldberg noticed as well: "The first thing that goes is your body, the last thing that goes is your mind. Tyson may have wanted to do better … but there is only so much you can do. I don't think his legs were under him by any stretch. … He didn't look stable leg-wise. He looked like he was drained."

Given Tyson's unsteadiness, Paul may have had an opportunity to knock him out in the latter stages had to gotten aggressive, but he appeared content to win it on points.

When asked by a reporter after the fight if he eased up on Tyson rather than trying to finish him off, Paul said: "Definitely. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn't want to hurt someone that didn't need to be hurt."

Since making his professional boxing debut in 2020, Paul has compiled an 11-1 record, and only four of his victories have gone the distance.

Tyson hadn't had an official pro fight since 2005, but he was a world champion and one of the most dominant heavyweights of all time during his heyday, as 44 of his 50 career wins came by way of knockout.

In many ways, Goldberg followed a similar career arc to Tyson, as most of his matches during his famed undefeated streak in WCW were quick squashes to showcase his dominance.

Also, like Tyson, Goldberg is now preparing for one last hurrah on the heels of his announcement earlier this month that he will have his retirement match with WWE in 2025.

Goldberg, who is 57, last wrestled at Elimination Chamber in in February 2022, losing to Roman Reigns.

Although Goldberg had a run-in with world heavyweight champion Gunther at Bad Blood last month, it isn't yet clear who Goldberg's retirement match will be against.

Regardless of when or where it takes place or who his opponent is, WWE has the advantage of pro wrestling being a predetermined form of entertainment, meaning it can ensure that Goldberg goes out on a high note with his last match, unlike what played out with Tyson.

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