Mike Tyson declared that “the devil himself” would show up for his boxing match against Jake Paul on Friday night, giving Paul a glimpse of what’s to come during Thursday’s weigh-in.
Tyson weighed in at 233 pounds and approached Paul for a final stare-down before their about at AT&T Stadium. Paul, weighing in at a career-high 220 pounds, quickly moved from a crawling position to get close to the former heavyweight champion.
Reacting to Paul invading his space, Tyson slapped Paul across the face. Security quickly separated them as Paul mocked Tyson and laughed at the crowd.
A source close to Tyson revealed that he slapped Paul because Paul intentionally stepped on his foot during the stare-down. Tyson, already irritated by Paul’s trash talk, found the foot-stepping to be the final straw.
After the incident, Tyson was escorted away while Paul addressed the crowd, saying, “It’s personal now. He must die!”
Tyson’s mood has changed over the past few days. He was talkative during Tuesday’s workouts but was quieter at Wednesday’s news conference, giving short answers. By Thursday, it seemed he was done talking and ready for the fight.
The slap has only increased the excitement for the upcoming fight between the legendary boxer and the YouTuber-turned-fighter. Fans are eagerly anticipating how this heated build-up will impact their showdown on Friday night.