Last week, a one-ringed circus made its way to Dallas. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson staged a carnival under the big top of AT&T Stadium, which is no stranger to hosting such events as the Cowboys play there. Instead of a sword, Tyson swallowed his pride, and the only thing missing from Paul's clownish effort was a water-squirting flower on his lapel. P.T. Barnum would have been proud of this spectacle.

Expectations vs Reality

When the event was first announced, many expected a legitimate fight. However, given the circumstances, it was clear from the start that this was not going to be a traditional boxing match. Tyson had nothing to gain by winning, and Paul had everything to lose by losing. At 58 years old, Tyson was far removed from the intimidating monster who knocked out Michael Spinks. Nearly 20 years had passed since he seemingly ended his career by quitting on his stool against Kevin McBride.This fight provided the perfect foil for Paul, who sought to fight a recognizable name to boost his boxing resume. A win over a legend guaranteed more fights and more money. But a Tyson knockout would have meant the end of Paul's gravy train. The eight-round tango was so choreographed that it should have been scored by the "Dancing with the Stars" panel instead of ringside judges.Tyson's only significant punch was the slap he delivered during the weigh-in. He had multiple opportunities to drop Paul early in the fight, as shown in multiple social media videos, but he declined to take advantage. Despite the shortened rounds, Tyson ran out of gas and resorted to playfully gnawing on his glove. He had as much movement as Margate's Lucy the Elephant.Paul, on the other hand, appeared unwilling or unable to take Tyson out. He did just enough to get a unanimous decision, but his performance was uninspired and unimpressive.

The Broadcast Disaster

Netflix's livestream of the fight was filled with streaming and buffering problems. One viewer in Florida even filed a class-action suit against the network. As a big Netflix fan, I was disappointed by the quality of the broadcast. This was the worst livestream of a sports event since Gavin Belson and Hooli's Nucleus platform streamed a fictional UFC fight on HBO's Silicon Valley in 2015.After attending a friend's wedding at the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City on Friday evening, I headed down the Garden State Parkway in hopes of catching the fight. I got home around 11, just in time to see the highlight of the night - a thrilling rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. But I had to wait over an hour and a half for the live main event.When I glanced at my phone during the fourth round, I saw that Paul had won via unanimous decision. I only had myself to blame for watching it, as Barnum once said, "There's a sucker born every minute."

The Next Night at Tropicana Atlantic City

The next night, there was a real, legitimate boxing card at Tropicana Atlantic City. Fans filled the Showroom to watch undefeated local fighters Justin Figueroa and Bruce Seldon Jr. in action. Afterward, I strode out of the casino and onto the Boardwalk and took a deep breath. Unlike the Tyson-Paul fight, it didn't smell fishy.