The viral ring girl from Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s controversial boxing match two weeks ago has opened up about allegations that the entire fight had been “staged.”
During the event, Tyson could be seen delivering a brutal slap to Paul’s face, saying the 27-year-old had stepped on his toe.
What caught people’s attention, however, was Sydney Thomas’s reaction — or rather, lack thereof.
Highlights
- Sydney Thomas's job required her to remain indifferent during Tyson-Pauld slap.
- Event slapping incident fueled 'staged' rumors, but it was claimed real.
- Tyson and Paul faced 24-day suspensions for contestants' safety concerns.
Sydney Thomas revealed why she had no reaction to Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s sudden altercation after allegations surfaced that the fight was “staged”
Image credits: Christian Petersen / Getty
As multiple authorities got involved in trying to separate Tyson and Paul onstage, the University of Alabama student was posing and smiling in the back, almost as if she expected things to get out of hand.
Audience members were confused, saying, “This has to be staged. There’s no way that’s real. The models in the back didn’t even react.”
But it turns out it’s a part of her job to act indifferent.
“I was so shocked that it happened. I was not expecting that at all,” Thomas told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “But our job as event models is to stand there and smile; we’re not really supposed to react.
“You’re not supposed to change what you’re doing. You’re supposed to be in the background of all the pictures and not have these big reactions.”
Image credits: Stephen McCarthy / Getty
She added, “I’m like, ‘Oh! He just slapped him!’ But I have to hold this smile the whole time. In my head, I’m like, ‘No way. But keep smiling! They’re taking so many pictures; this moment’s going to go so viral. I got to be looking good back here.’ That was my thought process.”
Prior to Thomas weighing in on the situation, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) co-founder Nakisa Bidarian tried shutting down the rumors, as per the outlet.
She labeled the entire fight as “100% real from beginning to end.”
“If you were to rig such competition, it is a federal crime. And myself, Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, executives from Netflix would all be going to jail,” she stated. “They would be risking their entire company, and we would be risking our entire lives to do that.
“It is preposterous that people even suggest that this was in any way anything other than a professional fight… that was not the case in any Jake fight, let alone this one.”
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind for Sydney Thomas
Image credits: iamsydneythomas
It was certainly a surprise for 20-year-old Sydney Thomas when she was labeled the “real winner of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson” by an overwhelming amount of people on the internet.
She recently surpassed 1M followers on TikTok and introduced herself to the world in a video posted on November 25.
“I could not be more thankful or blessed, so thank you,” she said. “I feel like you guys have seen me on TV, and you don’t actually know who I am. So I’m going to give you guys a little rundown on me cause there’s more to me than just what you see.”
According to People, the social media model grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, before going to Alabama for university, pursuing study management and entrepreneurship. Her flexible schedule comes from her ability to do classes online.
Image credits: Fox News
“My path is so different and unique that I take it day by day. I don’t stress too much about the future,” Thomas added. “I know the path that I’m on is the right one and I’ll end up where I need to be and it will all work out in the end.”
With her platform, she hopes to continue “sharing her life” and “make an impact.”
“If the things I share on here positively change someone’s life, that’s a big thing for me,” she stated.
While Sydney Thomas is riding the high from the event, the main stars of the show aren’t facing the same treatment
Image credits: iamsydneythomas
Requirements highlighted by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation stated, “Mandatory rest — all contestants shall receive a mandatory rest period calculated as three days of rest for each round fight with no less than a seven-day mandatory rest period.”
The mandate was implemented in consideration for the contestants’ safety as awareness of brain injuries in combat sports has been increasing.
Image credits: Al Bello / Getty
The suspension can be appealed, however, if a party is interested in requesting a hearing to prove their physical health.
Overall, fans were disappointed in the match and its final result, especially as Netflix failed to stream the event without buffering issues.
Netizens labeled Sydney Thomas as the "best part" of the Paul-Tyson fight
