Jake Paul believes he can fight for a title, and Mike Tyson won't say he's finished at 58

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Paul believes he can fight for a championship belt within two years.

Mike Tyson didn't rule out another return to the ring after the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion's first sanctioned pro bout since 2005.

An event hyped like a prize fight turned into a glorified sparring session, the eight-round bout won by Paul in a lopsided unanimous decision at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.

There will continue to be questions for Paul over when he will fight a contender in his prime, as opposed to aging former champs, mixed martial artists or journeymen boxers.

The 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer's answers have been consistent, and now he has a timeline.

“I think it could happen in the next 24 months,” Paul said. “I truly, truly believe in my skills and my ability and my power. And the cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline.”

Tyson, whose last fight before retiring was a loss to Kevin McBride 19 years ago, said he was confident in taking on Paul because of an entertaining exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in front of no fans during the pandemic in 2020.

A shorter fight (instead of 10 or 12 rounds) with shorter rounds (two minutes instead of three) and heavier gloves fell far short of entertaining.

The International Boxing Hall of Famer came at Paul hard in the opening seconds, and briefly again to start the second round. Otherwise, he mostly let Paul come to him, and Paul said he thought Tyson was too fatigued to be a threat beyond the third round.

Still, Tyson wouldn't say it was his last fight after the officially recorded loss dropped his record to 50-7 with 44 knockouts.

“It depends on the situation,” Tyson said before suggesting a fight with Paul's older brother, Logan Paul, who was standing near him in the ring.

“I'll kill you, Mike,” Logan Paul shot back, using an expletive for emphasis.

There's no question the younger Paul will be back in the ring. The former social media influencer started boxing about 4 1/2 years ago and has always said he wants to be a championship fighter.

“He’s a very good fighter,” said Tyson, the undisputed heavyweight champ from 1987-90, after Paul won 80-72 on one judge's scorecard and 79-73 on the other two.

Paul still has plenty to prove, though. He is 11-1 with seven knockouts, the only loss to Tommy Fury, the less-accomplished brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

The former Disney Channel star has proven he can create hype for just about any fight.

The first live sports event on the streaming platform Netflix drew tens of millions of viewers, with Paul suggesting it was 120 million while also saying the company he co-founded, Most Valuable Promotions, would provide numbers Tuesday.

According to reports, Paul’s payday was $40 million, compared with $20 million for Tyson. Paul mentioned his number during a promotional event over the summer.

Organizers estimated the AT&T Stadium crowd at 72,000, and it appeared to be a legitimate number.

“There may never be another moment like this in boxing, but I believe we can find something,” Paul said. “And I think there are a few names out there that make sense, that the events will be just as big.”

In the days before his fight with Tyson, Paul mentioned super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, considered one of the best boxers in the world.

An opponent of that magnitude is probably at least several fights away for Paul, and it might not be long before age becomes an issue for the 34-year-old Alvarez.

Paul's camp will never question its ability to put on a show.

“Boxing is ebbs and flows, ups and downs, big events, small events, medium-size events,” said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's promoter. “Our philosophy is it’s not about what is the decision that happens in the ring. It’s about the attitude that you have and the product you create and how you entertain the fans. And there’s no more entertaining of an athlete than Jake Paul.”

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Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Jake Paul lands a left to Mike Tyson during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Jake Paul, left, fights Mike Tyson during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Jake Paul, left, and Mike Tyson embrace after their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Jake Paul reacts after defeating Mike Tyson during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The United States Postal Service might have found a way to unite a nation bitterly divided after this month's election: It's releasing a Betty White stamp.

The beloved actor known for roles in “The Golden Girls," “The Mary Tyler Moore Show," “Boston Legal,” and others will be on a 2025 Forever stamp, USPS announced Friday.

White died in late December 2021, less than three weeks before her 100th birthday. The Postal Service hasn't announced a release date for the stamp.

“An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades,” the Postal Service said in announcing the stamp, which depicts a smiling White based on a 2010 photograph by celebrity photographer Kwaku Alston. “The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.”

Boston-based artist Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration from Alston's photo.

“I’d love to send a letter back to my 18-year-old self with this stamp on it and tell him that everything is going to be OK,” Stephanos posted on Facebook.

Regardless of personal politics, self-proclaimed supporters of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris reacted with delight on social media.

“Betty White was my hero, all of my life! I actually had a doll when I was a little girl I named Betty White,” one Trump supporter posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“Something to make this awful week a little better: We’re getting a Betty White stamp,” posted a pro-Harris X account.

White combined a wholesome image with a flare for bawdy jokes. Her television career began in the early 1950s and exploded as she aged.

“The only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party," Seth Meyers posted on Twitter after her death. "A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.”

FILE - Betty White speaks on stage at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images, File)