Mike Tyson Explains Why He Slapped Jake Paul at the Weigh-in Before Their Big Fight
Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul at the weigh-in because Paul stepped on his foot.
Published Nov. 15 2024, 9:38 a.m. ET
The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here — the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match! It's set for Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and you can catch all the action on Netflix.
Before they step into the ring, though, the two boxers came face-to-face one last time at their public weigh-in. And, well, things got heated.
In a shocking turn of events, Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul right in the face. So, why did he do that? Here's what you need to know.
Why did Mike Tyson slap Jake Paul at the weigh-in?
After the weigh-in, Tom Patti, a longtime friend of Tyson's, spoke with USA Today to set the record straight and spill the tea. And so, Tom told the outlet that Tyson slapped Jake Paul because, well, the YouTuber-turned-professional boxer stepped on his foot.
"Jake stepped on Mike's foot, that prompted the reaction," Tom revealed via text message, adding that he "was there and Mike just told me."
Tyson spoke with the New York Post just moments after the weigh-in and shared that Jake Paul stepped on his toe. But the undisputed heavyweight world champion doesn't think it was just a slip-up — Tyson believes the former Disney Channel star did it on purpose.
"I was in my socks and he had on shoes," Tyson explained to the outlet. "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."
He added, "I was in a lot of pain. I had to reciprocate."
Later, a representative for Tyson told the New York Post, "Jake has been poking the bear the whole time. Mike slapped the s--t out of him."
There's video evidence of Mike Tyson slapping Jake Paul.
In a chaotic clip from the weigh-in, Jake Paul can be seen briefly stepping on the front of Tyson's right foot before quickly yanking his foot back. But Tyson wasn’t having it — he immediately slapped Paul across the face with a swift right hook and then pointed at the ground. The tension was thick as security rushed in to separate the two.
If it's this heated already, we can only imagine how wild the actual fight is going to be!