Tyson Slaps Jake Paul at Tense Weigh-In Ahead of Controversial Heavyweight Clash

Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul at a tense weigh-in ahead of their highly anticipated, yet controversial, heavyweight fight in Texas on Friday.

The 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul will face the 58-year-old Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The drama unfolded after both fighters weighed in, with Paul crawling across the floor to meet Tyson for the traditional final face-off.

While Tyson had largely ignored Paul’s taunts throughout the fight week, he couldn’t hold back at the weigh-in. In a surprising moment, Tyson slapped Paul across the face, prompting security and team members to quickly intervene and separate the two men.

“Talking’s over,” Tyson said as he walked off the stage. Meanwhile, Paul, who seemed unfazed, smiled before sitting down and appearing to meditate.

“I didn’t even feel it. He’s angry. He’s an angry little elf,” Paul said, brushing off the slap. “Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap, buddy, but tomorrow you’re getting knocked out.”

Tyson, a two-time world champion who last fought professionally in 2005, weighed in at 16st 4lb, while Paul was a pound lighter.

Despite the chaos surrounding their showdown, the event also featured a calm and respectful face-off between undisputed light-welterweight champion Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. The two fighters easily made weight and exchanged friendly words before taking the microphone to highlight the progress of women’s boxing.

“I told her, this is our time,” Serrano said after the face-off. “Let’s do the same thing we did two years ago. This is the defining moment for all women in boxing. This is our time. We’ve worked really hard to be in this position.”

In 2022, Taylor won a thrilling bout against Serrano by a narrow points decision, marking one of the greatest fights in women’s boxing history. Their rematch, set for Saturday, will take place at light-welterweight, with both women weighing in at 9st 11lb.

Despite earlier reports suggesting he wouldn’t be credentialed for the event, Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn was present. Though critical of the Tyson-Paul spectacle, he praised Taylor and her opponent.

“I’ve had some amazing moments in 18 years, but I think tomorrow night will be one of my best ever,” Taylor said ahead of her rematch with Serrano.