The much-anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul erupted into chaos Thursday night when Tyson slapped his younger opponent during their weigh-in at Irving’s Toyota Music Factory.
After weighing in at 233 pounds, the 57-year-old former heavyweight champion confronted Paul, who tipped the scales at a career-high 220. When Paul, 27, darted forward from a crawling stance, Tyson delivered an open-handed slap that connected squarely with the social media star’s face. Sources close to Tyson told ESPN the former champion was responding to Paul “purposefully” stepping on his foot.
“It’s personal now. He must die!” Paul shouted to the crowd after security separated the fighters.
The incident marked a stark shift in Tyson’s demeanor, who earlier promised “the devil himself” would appear Friday night at AT&T Stadium. After being talkative at Tuesday’s open workouts, Tyson grew increasingly subdued before Thursday’s eruption.
The bout, which began as Paul’s vision during an ayahuasca retreat, will be Texas-sanctioned as a professional fight – Tyson’s first official match since losing to Kevin McBride in 2005. The fight features modified rules: eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves.
Paul enters with a 10-1 record (6 KOs) in his third fight this year, while Tyson brings his legendary 50-6 record (44 KOs) to what many view as a generational clash between boxing’s past and social media’s present.
Originally scheduled for July before Tyson’s ulcer postponement, the event will stream on Netflix to a potential audience of 300 million, featuring a co-main event rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. The bout caps eight months of training and marks Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ biggest event since selling out Madison Square Garden in 2022.
58 year old Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul at the weigh-in ahead of their fight.
Now this is the drama we’ve always associated with Iron Mike 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/K1yMUiR9oM
— SportsDokita (Odogwu ☝️) (@Sports_Doctor2) November 15, 2024