Mike Tyson sprang into action when he was provoked by Jake Paul during yesterday’s weigh-in for their controversial clash at the AT&T Stadium later today.
The pair have kept one another in their sights for the majority of this year, months before their professional boxing bout was originally scheduled to take place in July.
And so, as they came face-to-face for the final time before fight night, an explosive encounter between the two combatants was always bound to ensue.
As it happens, Mike Tyson has been in no mood for fun and games throughout fight week, and ultimately decided to illustrate his no-nonsense approach with a perfectly timed slap.
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Ariel Helwani insists that Mike Tyson’s stunt was not staged
Moments before landing a clean slap across the face of Jake Paul, Tyson hit the scales at an optimal weight of 228.4 lbs.
Paul, meanwhile, recorded his career-heaviest weight of 227.2 lbs, perhaps hoping that the extra few pounds will allow him to absorb an early onslaught from his vastly more seasoned opponent.
When the pair engaged in their final face-off, though, Tyson unleashed an almighty slap in response to Paul stepping on his toe.
Then, shortly after the incident occurred, several fans took to social media, largely expressing their belief that the stunt was staged.
However, esteemed broadcaster Ariel Helwani, who interviewed both fighters on stage after their weigh-in, is adamant that there was no scripting involved.
“It’s absurd,” Helwani said on his YouTube channel in response to these comments. “And it’s from people who have never taken a punch or been in a fight or been close to fighters or anything like that.”
“That was legit, and Jake got up in his face. This is not a game. He’s different than the other people he’s faced before. He is wired differently.
“You see him in the [Netflix] documentary, you see the way he talks, you see the dark place that he goes to, you see the way his mind works, you see the way he is philosophical about life and fighting. He’s just different.”
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Mike Tyson reveals exactly why he slapped Jake Paul
Tyson claims that Paul stepping on his toe was intentional which, if proven to be true, would explain why he responded so forcefully.
“I was in my socks and he had on shoes, he stepped on my toe because he is a f***ing a***hole,” Tyson told the New York Post. “I was in a lot of pain. I had to reciprocate.”
In most cases, it would be detrimental for a fighter to enter the ring with these kinds of emotions, ones that could steer them away from their gameplan.
But when it comes to Tyson’s career, it only seems right for him, even at the age of 58, to get riled up by an opponent.