Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are due to settle their differences in the ring, with the pair finally set to lock gloves in their long-awaited boxing match. While Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali’s 'Fight of the Century' from 1971 didn't have the luxury of Netflix to stream to the masses, "Iron Mike" vs "The Problem Child" is expected to pull in an audience of up to 300 million when it goes live on November 15.
With the fight having been delayed from July 2024, it means tensions have only built from the fans and boxers alike. Both Paul and Tyson have been laying down some serious smack talk, with the former even poking fun at Tyson's infamous 'Bite Fight' from 1997. Just in case you didn't know the 58-year-old Tyson isn't a man to be messed with, Iron Mike has (literally) put the cocky YouTuber in his place by slapping Jake Paul during their final face-off.
A riled audience in Dallas, Texas, watched on as the pair stepped onto the scales for their weigh-in the night before the all-star fight. While Tyson got cheers, the divisive social media star faced a barrage of boos.
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In terms of weight, Paul is just a breadth lighter at 227.2lb compared to Tyson's 228.4lb. As the two faced each other, Tyson seemingly slapped Paul without any reason. Security then ran in and separated the two fighters.
Discussing it with host Ariel Helwani, Tyson simply said: "Talking’s over." This comes after a week where Paul has been particularly vocal but Tyson has refused to engage with his smack talk. It seems that it all boiled over and Tyson decided to give his response with a slap instead of his mouth.
Responding to the slap, a defiant Paul said: "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**k out. I’m f**king him up.”
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Paul said that Tyson "hits like a b*tch," but if you've ever seen him box or been keeping up with his recent training videos, you'll know that's not the case. With some on X saying Paul will be left drinking through a straw for the rest of his life following the November 15 match, he might want to choose his words wisely.
While it's unclear why Tyson slapped Paul, internet sleuths have noticed it looks like the latter might've stepped on his foot. Joking online, someone wrote: "Never step on Mike Tyson’s foot
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or he will SLAP THE HELL OUT OF YOU."
Another pointed out: "Mike Tyson has said in the past that he has sensitive feet and if someone steps on his feet he'd lose composure. Jake probably knew this."
Then again, others are sure the entire thing is a setup - especially with seven of the 38 states that allow betting on sporting events refusing to sanction the fight. The weigh-in wasn't your conventional one, and with members of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team providing entertainment alongside two people dressed as giant Transformers, this won't help with those complaints the whole thing has become a 'circus'.
Still, with the clock ticking and the ring looming, there isn't long until these two will get to show what they're really made of.