Tyson, 58, has been curiously passive during fight week here in Dallas, Texas, and was even accused of being ‘f***** boring’ by his 27-year-old opponent Paul during an uneventful press conference.
But things kicked off at the weigh-in, 24 hours before the intriguing and controversial fight takes place at the AT&T Stadium.
Both fighters weighed in – Paul at 227.2 pounds and Tyson at 228.4 – and had barely made eye contact for the face-off when the sporting icon landed a slap across Paul’s face.
Paul was on all fours as Tyson made his way to the face-off area, presumably trying to antagonise the former world heavyweight champion, but got a slap to the jaw as soon as he got to his feet.
Security stepped in to hold Tyson back, not that he looked like he was trying to inflict further blows, while Paul began to laugh and interact with the crowd inside the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, a few miles from the fight venue.
Tyson was then escorted off stage but not before sports broadcaster Ariel Helwani asked him how he felt on the eve of the fight.
‘Talking’s over,’ Iron Mike replied, proceeding to walk off as Helwani tried to ask him why he slapped Paul.
Paul, who has won 10 of his 11 pro fights to date, was sitting on stage in a meditation pose by this point before being summoned for a quick chat.
Asked how it felt to be slapped by someone once known as the baddest man on the planet, Paul said: ‘I didn’t even feel it.
‘He’s angry, he’s an angry little elf. Mike Tyson, that was a cute slap buddy but tomorrow you’re getting knocked the f*** out.
‘I’m f*****g him up, I’m f*****g him up! He hits like a b***. It’s personal now, it’s personal now! He must die!’
Jake ‘The Problem Child’ Paul was the first to take to the stage and weighed in at 227.2 pounds for his first fight in the heavyweight division.
The ever-energetic Paul bounced onto the stage, shadow-boxing and interacting with his fans before stepping onto the scales.
A more relaxed Tyson, wearing just a pair of briefs as he weighed in, looked in incredible shape given his age, though it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to beat a fighter 31 years his junior.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history when he stopped Trevor Berbick in 1986.
He established himself as one of the best fighters of all time over the next decade, though his career was also marred by controversy.
Tyson served three years of a six-year sentence after being convicted of rape in 1992. In the ring, he was once infamously disqualified for biting the ear of his opponent, Evander Holyfield.
Paul, one of the most followed influencers in the world, had his first professional fight in 2020 and boasts a record of 10 wins and one defeat ahead of his bout with Tyson.
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson will stream live exclusively on Netflix on Friday 15 November.
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