Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul at the public weigh-in for their upcoming boxing match. The incident happened just a day before their fight, set for November 15, 2024.
Tyson, now 58, told the New York Post why he hit the 27-year-old Paul.
"I was in my socks and he had on shoes. 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. I was in a lot of pain. I had to reciprocate."
The fight has stirred up controversy due to the big age gap between the boxers. Tyson hasn't had a professional fight since 2005, though he did have an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
Their bout is set for eight rounds, each lasting two minutes. They'll use 14-ounce gloves, and knockdowns and knockouts are allowed. The result will count on their professional records.
Teddy Atlas, who helped coach Tyson early in his career, shared his thoughts on the pre-fight incident. The trainer-turned-analyst said it could scare Paul. He also pointed out that it's likely to boost interest in the event.
Atlas added, "If nothing else it just brought a lot more subscribers and views to tomorrow night."
Netflix will broadcast the fight. All of its 282.7 million subscribers worldwide can watch the full fight card. The main support fight is a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which fans have been waiting for.
