Without wanting to glamourise violence – if it really is Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul 24 hours before entering the ring with the sole purpose of defeating one another considered violence – that what have we been waiting for.
It was difficult to understand Tyson’s state of mind during the week of the fight in Dallas, Texas. He often had only a few words but his contribution to the press conference on Wednesday was particularly poignant.
Paul described Tyson as ‘boring’ and fans weren’t sure if the sporting icon was just conserving his energy and getting high on his constant bullshit or if, after months of promotion, he was finally giving it his game. away and show his heart is not right.
This was, after all, his first pro fight in nearly two decades. After being the baddest man on the planet, Tyson is now a grandfather who will get free bus tickets in England.
There was a time when he defended his ninth consecutive world heavyweight title and won 27 matches on the bounce. He is the best boxer on the planet and one of the greatest athletes of all time. Now, he’s up against a YouTuber-turned-boxer.
So Iron Mike would be forgiven for having a hard time waking up to fight or reminiscing about his glory days when he was insulted and threatened by an opponent 31 years his junior.
Given Tyson’s calm, even thinking demeanor this week, it was a shock to see him slap Paul in the face at the weigh-ins on Thursday night.
Fans and the media were expecting a low-key performance from the big boxer, but he attacked his opponent before security quickly stepped in and escorted him away.
Some immediately dismissed it as a PR move, an attempt to attract more attention to what is thought to be one of the most watched boxing fights, as it airs live and exclusively on Netflix.
It may have been planned, but some fans are convinced that Mike Tyson’s fighting instincts came out after Jake Paul accidentally stepped on his toe, something the announcers didn’t do.
Paul strangely crawled into the face-off area on all fours but looked at Tyson’s right foot when he was up. Since Paul had put his trainers back on after his time on the scales and Tyson was only wearing socks, he must have felt it.
The younger man continued to climb on Tyson’s grill which he couldn’t help.
Tyson confirmed as much in a short interview with The Post moments after the weigh-in.
‘I was in socks and he was in shoes,’ the veteran said. ‘He stepped on my toe because he’s an af****** a******.
‘I’d like to think it happened by accident. But now I think it happened on purpose. I was in a lot of pain. I have to get revenge.’
It should be said that someone is walking on their toes must result in a real slap to the jaw, but in the power-up, adrenaline-fueled atmosphere, it is easy to see what Tyson can react like.
Many will still view the slap as a final PR stunt before a controversial and potentially epic showdown at AT&T Stadium, and it will at least whet your appetite for what’s to come.
“The talk is over,” Tyson said on stage before refusing to answer another question from sportscaster Ariel Helwani and walking away.
Meanwhile, Paul, who is looking to record his 11th win in 12 pro fights, claimed he ‘didn’t feel’ the slap and vowed to beat Tyson.
‘He’s angry, he’s an angry little elf,’ said the influencer with more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube. ‘Mike Tyson, that’s a funny slap mate but you’re going to lose tomorrow.
‘I laughed at him, I laughed at him! He hits like ab***. Now it’s personal, now it’s personal! He must die!’
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson will be streaming live on Netflix on Friday November 15th.
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