Things got intense between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul during their weigh-in Thursday night at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, when what began as a tense face-off ended with Tyson slapping Pau across face.
@MikeTyson is this my chris rock moment? pic.twitter.com/ITDQbNYhCI
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 15, 2024
Video footage shows the moment when Paul’s left foot appears to briefly land on the front of Tyson’s right foot, leading to Tyson’s swift reaction. After the slap, Tyson pointed to the ground, visibly frustrated, before security stepped in to separate the two fighters.
In an interview with the New York Post shortly after the heated exchange, Tyson shed more light on what triggered the altercation, revealing that Paul’s step wasn’t a minor incident. “I was in my socks and he had on shoes,” Tyson explained. “He stepped on my toe because he is a f—king a—hole. I wanted to think it happened by accident. But now I think it may have happened on purpose.”
The tension escalated as the fighters approached the end of the stage following the weigh-in. Longtime Tyson associate Tom Patti also spoke to USA Today about Paul’s behavior leading up to the moment, claiming it crossed a line. “Jake shows enough disrespect that he starts crawling up to Mike and then pouncing in front of him … like some sort of lurching animal. Mike put him in his place,” Patti said.
Despite appearing friendly in earlier interactions, Tyson and Paul’s relationship has grown increasingly strained as fight night draws near. The pair have dismissed speculation that their fight was rigged due to their public camaraderie, but recent days have seen a shift in tone, with Paul growing more confrontational and Tyson seemingly fed up with the antics.
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