Mike Tyson discovers new heavyweight world ranking after Jake Paul loss

Boxing legend Mike Tyson has been ranked 309 in the BoxRec heavyweight rankings after his recent loss to social media personality and boxer Jake Paul. Tyson, 58, made a highly anticipated return to professional boxing on Friday, facing Paul in his first bout since losing to Kevin McBride in 2005.

However, he was thoroughly beaten by the 27 year old, ultimately losing on points. Despite the defeat, Tyson expressed gratitude for the experience, taking to Twitter to say: "This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I'm grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time."

"I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you."

Tyson finds himself now ranked at 309th in the latest heavyweight listings, shockingly 183 spots behind Paul. He stands just three places ahead of Terrell Jamal Woods, who boasts a less than stellar record of 29-62 but is best known for his single victory across his last fifteen bouts. Tyson has also been surpassed by relative unknowns like Peter 'The Problem' Naylor within these rankings, reports the Mirror.

Meanwhile, American youngster Paul has made quite the leap to 126th globally after his much-talked-about triumph in Texas. Post-fight, Paul commented on easing his attacks during the bout: "Yeah, definitely, definitely a bit. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn't want [to hurt him]. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn't want to hurt somebody that didn't need to be hurt."

The event was not without its critics as some attendees were reportedly seen exiting AT&T Stadium before the announcement of the winner due to disappointment in the display, yet the buzz around Paul's future prospects has only intensified.

This includes a direct challenge from none other than Artur Beterbiev, the current undisputed light-heavyweight world champion, who put out an invite to Paul through an Instagram message on Saturday, questioning: "@jakepaul what can you do in ring against the current undisputed champion? " and mentioning, "Just know that I'm always open to any suggestions."

On Saturday, it was revealed that over 60 million households tuned into the main event on Netflix, leading to several crashes of the streaming platform. The fight's gate revenue exceeded $18m (£14m), doubling the previous Texas record for combat sports in both boxing and MMA, and surpassing Canelo Alvarez's record of $9m (£7m).