Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul in the face during their final face-off at their weigh-ins ahead of their highly anticipated boxing match, set for Friday (November 15) at AT&T Stadium in Texas, USA. The slap followed weeks of taunts between the two, including Jake calling Mike "boring" at a press conference.
During Thursday’s (November 14) weigh-ins, Iron Mike delivered a right-hand slap to Jake’s face, followed by an apparent attempt at a low blow that missed, before being swiftly restrained and pushed away from the 27-year-old YouTube star.
Highlights
- Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul after he stepped on his toe during the face-off.
- Jake Paul called Mike Tyson 'boring' in the lead-up to their fight.
- The fight between Tyson and Paul will be aired live exclusively on Netflix.
- Jake Paul taunted Mike Tyson, promising to knock him out the following day.
“Fans and media alike were expecting a similarly low-key performance from the boxing great but he laid one on his opponent before security quickly stepped in and escorted him away,” Louis Sealey, Assistant Sports Editor at Metro, described the event.
According to Louis, who was present at the weigh-ins, Jake “bizarrely crawled” towards the face-off area on all fours but appeared to step on Mike’s right foot when he got to his feet.
The two fighters had just completed their weigh-ins with Mike coming in at 228.4 pounds (approximately 104 kilograms) and Jake at 227.2 (approximately 103 kilograms), TMZ reported on Thursday.
Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul in the face
Image credits: Jake Paul
“Given Paul had put his trainers back on after his time on the scales and Tyson was only wearing socks, he must have felt it,” Louis reported on Friday.
Jake reportedly got uncomfortably close to the 58-year-old athlete during their face-off. Mike later confirmed to The New York Post that Jake had stepped on his toe, as he said: “I was in my socks and he had on shoes.
“He stepped on my toe because he’s a f****** a******. I wanted to think it happened by accident.
“But now I think it may have happened on purpose. I was in a lot of pain, I had to reciprocate.”
Jake reportedly shrugged off Mike's slap, claiming he "didn't even feel" it, and vowed to knock Mike out.
Referring to the veteran boxer as "an angry little elf," Jake taunted him, saying: "That was a cute slap, buddy, but tomorrow you’re getting knocked the f*** out."
He declared the fight personal, promising: "I’m f*****g him up... He must die!"
A day earlier, Jake, Mike, and their undercard cast starred in a press conference at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, The Daily Mail reported on Friday.
The incident happened during their final face-off at their weigh-ins ahead of their highly anticipated boxing match
Image credits: miketyson
During the press conference, host Ariel Helwani pointed out a flashy earpiece sitting on Jake's helix.
According to TMZ Sports, the piece was from the brand VOBARA and cost $100,000. Jake wore it on his right ear in an expensive reference to Mike's infamous bite on Evander Holyfield in their 1997 heavyweight rematch.
As he was showcasing his earpiece to the camera, Jake exclaimed: “I'm not getting my s*** bit off on Friday night. So I got my diamond, spiked, ear covers right there.”
Moreover, during the heated press conference, Jake criticized Mike’s reserved demeanor. However, the boxing star had previously made it clear he was done talking and simply ready to fight, TMZ reported on Wednesday (November 13).
Image credits: jakepaul
As per the American tabloid, when a reporter asked what Mike would lose personally if he fell short against Jake he responded that it was “not going to happen.”
Jake was then asked about Mike's quiet personality, to which he replied: "There's a lot of s*** talk online saying you're going to kill me, and just nothing in person.
“It's ... I don't know. It's uh, pretty boring. Pretty f***ing boring."
Jake went on to challenge every fighter on the card who predicted Mike would win by placing individual bets with them, adding drama to their already tense rivalry.
The fight is set for Friday (November 15) at AT&T Stadium in Texas, USA
Image credits: jakepaul
Experts previously said that the upcoming fight would be a spectacle that embodies boxing's collision with entertainment culture.
While some believed Jake's youth and activity could give him an edge, others pointed to Mike’s powerful instincts remaining a wildcard that could still surprise viewers.
“I can’t exactly say I saw this coming,” Fansided MMA contributor Tom Albano told Bored Panda in an email back in March.
“I remember Paul saying he was (somehow) looking [at] the path towards being a world champion and would take a money fight only if it came.
“I was expecting him to have another ‘tomato can’ style bout next, but I guess the money fight came!”
In boxing, a “tomato can” refers to a fighter who is considered to be of low skill level or little threat to their opponent.
“I don’t doubt that this could sell,” Tom added. “You’ve got Netflix, the biggest streaming platform in the world.
“You’ve got Jake Paul and the brand and name value that he has in social media influencing and in combat sports.
“And you’ve got Mike Tyson, one of the greatest heavyweights to ever compete in the sport.”
The slap followed weeks of taunts between the two, including Jake calling Mike "boring" at a press conference
Image credits: Fight Hub TV
According to Tom, the fight will attract viewers “one way or another.” As far as who would win, Tom said: “One thing that needs to be taken into account is that it’s not final if this is an exhibition or a pro fight.”
He continued: “I’d be surprised if Texas allows this to be a legit professional boxing contest, but we’ve seen crazy things happen in combat sports!”
Tom predicted the fight ending in a decision win for Jake “if this is an official bout,” pointing to Mike and Jake’s age difference and “activeness.”
“Anyone who wants to say Mike is training, while that’s true, training and actual competition are two different settings,” the sportswriter said.
“That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing another KO win for the first boxer I ever became familiar with,” he admitted.
Tom concluded: “Honestly though, it’s all a spectacle. It’s a business venture. It’s a money fight.
He further stated: “I’m curious to see the viewership and social numbers for this fight. And I want to see how Netflix handles the production of this.”
Stephen Jones, who boxed in the 1980s and 1990s as an amateur and spent a vast amount of time between the 1990s and 2000s in Las Vegas working with a number of fighters, including heavyweight Friday Ahunanya and former WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter, claimed to have witnessed Mike’s comeback after being released from prison.
Mike came in at 228.4 pounds (approximately 104 kilograms) and Jake at 227.2 (approximately 103 kilograms)
Image credits: ESPN
“I saw how declined he looked when he first walked into the gym after Indiana and how quickly he gathered momentum and elevated himself to a point where he actually resembled a solid imitation of his best self,” Stephen told Bored Panda in an email.
Mike Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years in prison from 1992 to 1995.
Stephen, who runs Mirageboxing.blogspot.com and coaches amateur and professional fighters in the UK, further recalled: “Mike was hurting men in the gym daily, a naturally aggressive predator with very little mercy on his way to regaining the title.
“Mike, even at his most broken, could thrash his way through a version of the heavyweight division and remain a lightning bolt in the division’s history.”
Image credits: Fight Hub TV
However, according to Stephen, Mike has now become “a sideshow against a man who wouldn’t have had the guts to carry Mike’s gym bag in the 1990s.”
The boxing coach explained: “Mike will be 58 by the scheduled fight time and, in reality, shouldn’t be allowed to perform in paid fighting despite his obvious natural instincts.
“Jake is hiding behind a goofy persona with a vast following and great business acumen.
“Don’t be fooled, despite no boxing background and a late arrival to the sport, he is always in great condition. He fights often and has [a] very shrewd boxing advisory around him.”
You can watch the moment Mike slapped Jake below:
Also pointing to Jake’s younger age, Stephen added: “I’d love to have the naivety to fantasize about Mike demolishing Paul, [but] the reality is very different.
“A heavily muscled and powerful 58-year-old who hasn’t boxed a live opponent in combat in nearly 20 years and, despite his underwhelming level of opposition, Jake has boxed frequently and is an extremely diligently conditioned athlete who takes the sport seriously.”
Stephen went on to note the rarity for a fighter to return after a 20-year hiatus: I’d hope Mike would emerge morally victorious by carefully evading Jake’s best efforts, but I don’t think it’s a fight that can offer Mike an opportunity to roll back the years.”
Image credits: jakepaul
“It’s not a fight that I’m happy to see,” the boxing enthusiast said before concluding: “Mike always has a puncher[’s] chance of hurting and stopping Paul, but in my experience, a lively and motivated young and enthusiastic upstart will be hard to discourage.”
The boxing match was originally set for July but was rescheduled due to Mike's illness, with both camps agreeing on a new date.
The fight is now set for Friday (November 15) at 7 p.m. CT (local Texas time) and will air live exclusively on Netflix.
"Tyson gonna beat the brakes off of Jackie," a reader commented
