Mike Tyson declared that “the devil himself” would make an appearance in his upcoming boxing match against Jake Paul on Friday night. He gave Paul a fiery preview during Thursday’s weigh-in.
After Tyson stepped on the scale at 233 pounds, he confronted Paul for their final face-off before the showdown at AT&T Stadium.
Paul, weighing in at a career-high 220 pounds, dramatically crawled forward and sprang up to invade Tyson’s space, getting face-to-face with the legendary former heavyweight champion.
Reacting to Paul’s bold move, Tyson delivered an open-handed slap that landed squarely on Paul’s face. Security immediately intervened to separate the two as Paul, unfazed, taunted Tyson, laughing and playing to the crowd.
A source close to Tyson that the slap was provoked by Paul deliberately stepping on Tyson’s foot during the tense stare-down.
The source added that Tyson had grown increasingly irritated with Paul’s trash talk, and the foot-stepping incident pushed him over the edge.
Following the altercation, Tyson was escorted off the stage, leaving Paul to rile up the audience, shouting, “It’s personal now. He must die!”
Tyson’s demeanor has noticeably shifted over the past few days. While he appeared animated during Tuesday’s open workouts, his tone was markedly subdued at Wednesday’s press conference, where he gave brief, curt responses to media questions.
By Thursday, it was clear that Tyson was done talking and ready to act.
How this fiery tension will translate in Friday’s match remains to be seen, but the dramatic slap has undeniably amplified the buzz surrounding this generational clash between the boxing icon and the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter.
