Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul during weigh-in ahead of fight

Boxing fans around the world simply cannot wait for Friday night. Mike Tyson is making his return to the ring at 58 years old. On Thursday evening, there was a bit of scuffle at the final weigh in ahead of the fight. Tyson slapped Paul as the two were facing off, but both fighters were quickly separated by their respective camps.

Mike Tyson smacks Jake Paul at weigh-ins ahead of their Friday night bout 😳https://t.co/HVobESMAfEpic.twitter.com/m89YUGGoUd

— 5 GOATs (@5GOATs_) November 15, 2024

Following the slap, Paul quickly changed his Instagram profile picture to one of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. He’s of course referencing the time that Will Smith walked up and smacked Chris Rock across the face, a move that at the time, set social media ablaze.

Paul also noted on his Twitter page, “This is a pinch me moment. I just got slapped by Mike Tyson.” When you slow the video down, you see that Paul intentionally stepped on Tyson’s toes, and he was wearing socks to the weigh in.

According to the official weigh in results, Paul checked in at 227.2 pounds. Tyson checked in at 228.4 pounds.

More on the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul Netflix Fight

One of the biggest reasons Tyson said he’s doing the fight with Jake Paul is for his kids. “To my children, I’m nobody. But [Friday night] they’re gonna find out their father is very special,” Tyson explained to a ringside reporter with Most Valuable Promotions.

Nobody doubts that Tyson has been special throughout his incredible boxing career. He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever set foot in a boxing ring. And plenty of fans will tune in simply to see what the boxing icon still has left in the tank.

The key question he’ll get to answer before the Netflix on Friday night, is if he can still pack the legendary knockout power that he once displayed during his Hall of Fame career. Plenty of people want to see him deliver one more knockout of Paul, a polarizing YouTube personality.

While Paul has found some success in the ring (10-1) in recent years, his opponents have been carefully selected. Few of them had very much skill as elite boxers. While it’s certainly something what Paul has accomplished, it’s been a carefully crafted and paved path. Tyson is easily the most talented boxer he’s faced yet. And it’s not even remotely close.

But there are plenty of questions about “Iron” Mike and his ability at his old age. The recent pictures and training videos he’s posted are impressive. And he’s certainly in tip-top physical shape, looking as chiseled and shredded as ever.

Tyson, currently 58 years old, had to delay the fight due to an ulcer. It was originally slated for July 20th, 2024. But it was postponed until November to give him time to heal and recover. He had a flare up of a peptic ulcer, which made him feel nauseous and dizzy on a plane. A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of the stomach, small intestine, or esophagus.

The bout between Tyson and Paul is an officially sanctioned professional fight. That means the record will be tallied on the official results for each boxer. Knockouts will be permitted. The fight will consist of eight rounds, and they are each set for two minutes. Each fighter will wear no headgear. And they will also wear 14-ounce gloves.

The streaming of the fight on Netflix begins at 8:00 PM EST. But there are several other fights on the card. So that likely means Paul and Tyson will start a few hours later. It should be exciting to see one of the greatest ever to step back in the ring. The last time Tyson was in the ring was in 2020, when he fought Roy Jones, Jr. in an exhibition.