 "Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul at weigh-in: Tyson's friend reveals why senior boxer lost his cool")
The formal weigh-in for Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul on Thursday became a tense affair after the senior boxer slapped his opponent as they faced off for one final time before their highly anticipated boxing match. At the weigh-in, 58-year-old Tyson slapped Paul plush on the cheek as they faced off ahead of the Friday fight. The incident was quickly followed by officials intervening and separating the two boxers. The video of Tyson slapping the 27-year-old Paul is going viral on social media platforms.
Tyson, Paul engage in war of words
Paul, the Youtuber-turned-boxer weighed in at 227.2 pounds, and said that the slap did not make any impact on him, besides mocking the former heavyweight champion. “I didn’t even feel it – he’s angry. He’s an angry little elf…cute slap buddy,” said Paul. The former Disney actor also sent a stern warning to Tyson by ending his remarks by saying: “He must die.”
Tyson looks fragile to me. His right knee seems uncomfortable, his muscle tone lax and power is missing in that slap. Speed is ok as he managed to get his target. I want him to win though#tysonvspaul pic.twitter.com/4iJGo4YZhB
— Mr. Monei Makgasa Moneimang (@MMakgasa) November 15, 2024
Tyson, however, did not speak much after the incident. “Talking’s over,” Tyson said before leaving the venue after weighing in at 228.4 pounds in his Versace briefs.
A close friend of Tyson has revealed that the senior boxer got violent at the weigh-in because Paul stepped onto Mike’s foot.
“Jake stepped on Mike’s foot, that prompted the reaction,’’ Tom Patti told USA TODAY Sports. “I was there and Mike just told me.’’
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More ShortsTyson vs Paul boxing match details
The Tyson vs Paul fight will take place on 15 November, Friday (16 November, Saturday morning in India) in Texas and will mark the return of Tyson to the professional boxing ring after 19 years. His last fight was in 2005 when he lost to Kevin McBride. The upcoming match will be a little different from regular heavyweight matches as it will only have eight rounds as compared to 10 or 12 and each round will only be two minutes long and not three.
The Tyson vs Paul fight was originally scheduled to take place in July this year but was postponed after the “Iron Mike’ suffered health issues while travelling in a plane.
Also Read | Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul: Why was the fight sanctioned, and what are the injury risks for 'Iron Mike'?
The most famous promoter in boxing, Bob Arum, feels a 58-year-old should not be fighting. “A 58-year-old guy, no matter how good they were, no matter how athletic they were, are not gonna be able to fight,” he said. “You can’t throw punches like you’re supposed to, you can’t do a lot of things. I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him relatively no chance.”
Tyson will reportedly be paid $20 million for taking part in the fight against Paul, who will make $40 million.
The match will be live-streamed on Netflix globally.
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