An unlikely new star emerged during Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson.
The controversial fight between the uber-famous YouTuber and one of boxing’s biggest legends attracted 60 million viewers to Netflix as they got into the combat sports business for the first time.
There were several impressive performances from fighters on the undercard, but it was a peripheral figure who ended up gaining a ton of fans during the event.
Sydney Thomas is still coming to terms with her newfound fame.
Ring girl reacts to becoming famous overnight
Sydney Thomas is a 20-year-old ring girl and model who became a smash hit with boxing fans who branded her ‘the real winner’ after Jake Paul beat Mike Tyson by unanimous decision on Friday night.
As people flooded her social media pages, Thomas uploaded a TikTok video where she shared a jokey reaction to going viral during the biggest fight of the year.
“Waking up to see I’m trending for the Tyson v Paul fight,” she wrote alongside a video of her pretending to be gobsmacked after looking at her phone.
Thomas added: “I’m happy you guys enjoyed the broadcast!!”
The University of Alabama student racked up 5.8 million views on that post before taking to Instagram to give a much more serious reaction to the event.
“What a night #paulvstyson. Getting the opportunity to step into the ring with @MikeTyson and @JakePaul for such a historic fight is something I never imagined I’d be able to say, Thomas wrote.
“Words can’t describe this moment or how grateful I am to be part of such an amazing team at @MostValuablePromotions. History was made, and I’m truly honored to have been a part of it.”
She added on her Instagram story: “I woke up to an overwhelming amount of love and support from all of you. I can’t thank you guys enough or begin to express how grateful I am. I love you all — thank you for your kind words.”
What’s next for Mike Tyson?
Mike Tyson initially suggested he would fight on as he called out Logan Paul in the ring immediately after losing to his brother.
However, in a later social media statement, the 58-year-old hinted that he is done with boxing.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won,” Tyson wrote on X. “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 25lb 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.”
- READ MORE: Mike Tyson issues new six-word statement after being inundated with messages about Jake Paul fight