There was a heated moment between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul during the weigh-in ahead of their highly anticipated fight in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, November 15.
Videos circulated online showed Tyson, 58, giving the 27-year-old social media star what looked like a hard slap during their final face-off on Thursday, November 14. The pair were ultimately separated by security, and Paul responded to the incident by saying the former heavyweight champion “hits like a b***h.”
What led to Tyson slapping Paul could not be established, but it appears there’s bad blood between the pair ahead of their bout. While Tyson weighed in at 228 pounds, his opponent Paul came off the scale at 227 pounds, The Independent reported.
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“Talking’s over,” Tyson said after he slapped Paul, though he did not give any explanation for his actions.
“I didn’t even feel it. He’s angry. He’s an angry little elf. Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap, buddy, but tomorrow you’re getting knocked the f*** out. I’m f***ing him up,” Paul said in response to getting slapped. “He hits like a b***, it’s personal now, he must die!”
Tyson’s fight against Paul was pushed to November 15 after he suffered an ulcer flare-up in May. He, however, told FOX 4 that he’s healthy and prepared to face off against Paul. He also said he has “bad intentions,” adding that his training routine has not changed.
“[Training] is not much different. I just need more massages than normal,” Tyson said. He also said that though Paul is good a fighter, he is still not on his level. He told Paul not to “run like a thief” as he wants them to stand in and trade punches.
“I think he should try it. He’s a younger man, he should be able to handle punches from an old withering man like me,” Tyson said.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the fight has been officially sanctioned as a professional bout. According to BBC, this means that the results of the fight will subsequently reflect on Tyson and Paul’s records.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation said it sanctioned the fight as a professional one with “certain waivers” after it reviewed records and the medical history of both Tyson and Paul. The agency manages combat sports in the state.
“The safety of the contestants competing in the ring or the octagon is always the primary concern,” the TDLR said. The fight, however, has some conditions. It cannot go beyond eight rounds and two minutes per round. Tyson and Paul are also required to wear 14oz gloves instead of 10oz.
Tyson’s professional career ended in 2005 and he has not fought since he and Roy Jones Jr. met in a 2020 exhibition that ended in a draw. Paul has won nine of his 10 boxing fights, usually against ex-UFC fighters. His only defeat was when he came against British heavyweight Tommy Fury in February last year, according to BBC.
