Mike Tyson didn’t even wait for the bell to ring before he took aim at Jake Paul.
Tyson, 58, slapped Paul, 27, on Thursday during their weigh-in for this weekend’s boxing showdown.
Who knows if it was staged, but the drama unfolded at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas.
After the announcer introduced Tyson, the former boxing champ smacked Paul in the face. The two were then pulled apart.
Paul brushed it off and said he couldn’t even “feel” the slap.
“Mike Tyson, I thought that was the cutest little slap, but tomorrow you’re going to get knocked the f–k out,” Paul said.
Related: Mike Tyson Intends to ‘Hurt’ Jake Paul in Netflix Boxing Match
One of Tyson’s friends told USA Today the slap was in response to Paul insulting Tyson.
“Jake stepped on Mike’s foot, that prompted the reaction,’’ Tom Patti told the outlet in a text exchange. “I was there and Mike just told me.”
Combat sports announcer Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts served as emcee at the weigh-in.
All fighters on the main and preliminary cards participated in the weigh-in, including Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) and Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs), who will face off in a rematch. Additional fighters showcased included Mario Barrios, Abel Ramos, Neeraj Goyat, Whindersson Nunes, Shadasia Green, Melinda Watpool, Lucas Bahdi, Armando Casamonica, Shu Shu Carrington Jr., and Dana Coolwell.
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) is a former world heavyweight champion. Paul is a YouTuber, who became a boxer (10-1, 7 KOs), and is building up his list of wins.
Netflix partnered with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) for the streamer’s first live boxing match.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson streams live globally, on Netflix on Friday, Nov. 15 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. The fight will be available globally on all Netflix plans, and will feature live commentary in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German.
Watch the video from the weigh-in below:
