Male boxers top Google's most-searched athletes in the world for 2024



The most-searched athletes in the world on Google in 2024 coincided with some of the biggest events in the year, including the most-viewed boxing comeback of all time.

Although World Series competitors the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers topped Google's list of most-searched sports teams for the year, neither of the teams’ uber-popular stars, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, made the list for individual athletes.

Instead, those spots were reserved for boxers, Olympians, soccer players, and cricket stars.

Topping the list at No.1 worldwide was Olympic gold medal boxer Imane Khelif. Khelif was accused of being a man who pummeled women en route to gold in the women's 66kg weight class.

Khelif peaked in searches between July 28 and August 3, beginning right around the time it was revealed two boxers who failed gender tests would be competing in the Olympics.

Multiple sources have claimed Khelif is a man, including the International Boxing Association and the World Boxing Organization. Two researchers also cited medical studies that claimed Khelif has male genitalia and XY chromosomes.

Despite this bounty of evidence, Khelif has denied all accusations and claimed they are simply the product of a hate campaign.

A different boxer who got all the love and almost as many searches was Mike Tyson at No. 2. Tyson made a landmark comeback at 58 years old in a live Netflix boxing special.

Tyson dominated Google between November 10-16, losing a decision to Jake Paul on November 15. Afterward, rumors swirled about the authenticity of the fight, leading to a Saudi Arabian entertainment executive offering Tyson a cool $700 million to take a rematch.

Paul himself was ranked fifth on the worldwide list, peaking in popularity in the same time frame. However, the young boxer was out-ranked by No. 3 worldwide search Lamine Yamal.

Yamal was searched throughout the year, having started for top-tier soccer club Barcelona at just 16 years old. Yamal further entered into living rooms across the globe after appearing in the Euro 2024 international tournament.

Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles appeared at No. 4 after another successful stint representing the red, white, and blue.

Biles took home three gold and one silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has consistently stayed in headlines due to openly discussing mental issues. She is also married to NFL player Jonathan Owens, which surely provides crossover appeal with football fans.

Simone Biles poses with her four medals at the Paris Olympics; she was the fourth-most Googled athlete of 2024.Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Other soccer players like Nico Williams and Rodrigo Hernández Cascante cracked the top 10 along with multiple popular cricket players. Coming in at No. 8, however, was American golfer Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler had one of the most wild years of any athlete, first getting arrested in May while on his way to compete in a tournament; the charges were later dropped. He again made headlines in August after winning gold at the Summer Olympics.

A month later, Scheffler went viral for mocking a reporter's clueless questions at a press conference.

All's well that ends well for Scheffler, though; he ended the 2024 PGA Tour season with nearly $30 million in earnings.

Additionally, Scheffler ranked fourth on the U.S.-only Google list of most-searched athletes of the year. That list had Tyson at No. 1, Khelif at No. 2, and Biles at No 3.

It also included WNBA star Caitlin Clark at seventh place and popular, anti-woke NFL kicker Harrison Butker at eighth.

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'I don't want him to kill Mike': Hulk Hogan says he's worried Jake Paul might hurt Mike Tyson



Legendary professional wrestler Hulk Hogan said he fears for Mike Tyson in his upcoming boxing match against former YouTuber Jake Paul.

Paul recently fought ex-UFC star and bare-knuckle boxer Mike Perry in July in a boxing bout that many thought would be the end of Paul's storybook run.

However, Paul brutalized Perry on his way to a sixth round TKO. The fight only took place after Tyson withdrew due to a medical emergency.

With the Tyson fight rescheduled to November 15, Paul kept the July 20 date open and was happy to insert Perry in Tyson's place.

'If you attack him you can suffocate him.'

Appearing on the "Impaulsive" podcast, Hogan engaged in some preshow preamble with host Logan Paul, Jake's brother, about the upcoming event.

"Your brother is too strong," Hogan said of Jake.

The Hulkster then recalled watching Paul's fight with Perry, which made him worried about what he could do to Tyson.

"As soon as I saw him get [Perry] up with the left to throw the overhand right? I went, 'Oh, my God,'" Hogan explained.

Paul's brother told Hogan that Jake is actually far stronger than he looks and that the wrestler would be impressed if he saw how much weight he lifts.

Hogan went on, "I mean really, it was scary. I love Mike to death. I don't want him to kill Mike. Jesus."

The former WWF champion said that while Tyson is still crafty at his age, there is a path to victory for Paul.

"Mike is a snake. He will come out at you, but if you attack him you can suffocate him," Hogan advised.

Hulk Hogan, Mike Tyson at Grauman's Chinese Theater on November 2, 2005Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Tyson has disagreed with criticisms of his age, previously stating that no athlete could do what he is doing at his age:

"I'm 58 and what? I'm getting billions of views from just talking to somebody about fighting," Tyson said. "Everybody, even most of the athletes, they're jealous, that's whack. ... I say 'in your prime you couldn't draw a million people, man. What are you talking about, you couldn't sell out [an] arena.' Who at 58 could sell out an 80,000-seat arena?" he added.

"Right now I'm scared to death, but as the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become, because it's reality, and in reality I'm invincible," Tyson declared.

Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier called the fight with Tyson a lose-lose situation for Paul, saying that he will get no accolades from defeating a 58-year-old but will lose his aura if he wins.

"That is my concern. Because what if this looks like a 58-year-old man, fighting a 28-year-old man, where Mike can’t draw [reserve energy]?" Cormier asked.

"What if Mike knocks him out though? Then it's over," he added.

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Tyson Foods reportedly wants to hire 42,000 migrants, company laid off 1,200 after shuttering Iowa facility and more closures planned



Tyson Foods wants to hire 42,000 migrants to work in the United States, according to a new report. However, the massive food conglomerate just laid off 1,200 employees after shuttering a facility in Iowa last week and reportedly has other closures planned.

Bloomberg reported last week, "For companies like Tyson Foods Inc., struggling to fill unpleasant jobs with a U.S. unemployment rate of 3.9%, this new population presents an alluring opportunity."

Tyson joined the Tent Partnership for Refugees – a self-described nonprofit that "advises member companies on how they can build effective refugee hiring programs and integrate refugees into their workforces."

Tyson purportedly plans to double the number of migrants they employ.

Garrett Dolan – an associate director of human resources at Tyson Foods – told the outlet, "We would like to employ another 42,000 if we could find them."

According to Bloomberg, "Asylum hopefuls are typically eligible to receive work permits 180 days after they apply for the legal status, though some can receive them sooner. Many will wait years before their first immigration hearing due to court backlogs, but they’ll be allowed to work in the meantime."

Dolan noted that a large portion of new hires "are going to come from refugees and immigrants, so we’re now in the business of strategically thinking that through."

Dolan said the migrants are "very, very loyal,"

"They’ve been uprooted and what they want is stability — what they want is a sense of belonging," he added.

Last Monday, Tyson Foods announced that it was permanently closing its pork processing facility in Perry, Iowa. The closure coming in July would cost the jobs of 1,200 employees.

Fox Business reported, "Tyson plants in Arkansas, Virginia, Indiana, and Missouri are similarly scheduled to be shuttered in the coming months."

After the Bloomberg report was released, many Americans organized a boycott to counter the company hiring migrants.

However, Tyson Foods is disputing the narrative that the company wants to hire illegal immigrants.

"In recent days, there has been a lot of misinformation in the media about our company, and we feel compelled to set the record straight," the company said in a statement last week. "Tyson Foods is strongly opposed to illegal immigration, and we led the way in participating in the two major government programs to help employers combat unlawful employment, E-Verify and the Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program."

John Tyson – the grandson of the founder of Tyson Foods – and his family have a net worth of approximately $2.6 billion, according to Forbes.

Tyson Foods produces approximately 20% of the beef, pork, and chicken in the United States, according to the company. The food conglomerate includes brands such as Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, BallPark, Wright, Aidell’s, and State Fair.

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