Heavyweight legend Mike Tyson slapped YouTuber Jake Paul as the two men faced each other for the final time yesterday, Thursday before their duel in the ring hosted by streaming giant Netflix.
The 58-year-old Tyson slapped Paul with his right hand after the official weigh-in for the boxing bout scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. local time at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Beforehand, on images of the clash, we can see that Jake Paul, after advancing towards him on all fours, steps on the tip of the former champion's right foot, causing his angry reaction. A crowd of security members intervenes immediately to separate the two fighters, before “Iron Mike” is expelled.
Mike Tyson, who was weighed at 103.4kg after stepping on the scales wearing only his briefs, barely spoke before leaving the scene. “The discussion is over”he simply blurted out before going out with members of his entourage.
The match broadcast live on Netflix
Jake Paul, a YouTuber with 20.8 million subscribers who became a boxer, claimed not to have been hurt by Tyson's slap, which sparked exclamations from the audience. “I didn't even feel it, he's angry. He's an angry little leprechaun… lovely slap buddy“, said Paul, weighed in at 103kg. Paul then promised to knock Tyson out, before theatrically roaring into a microphone: “He must die!”
The organizers insist on the professional nature of the fight, contested with the approval of the Texan commission responsible for licensing for boxing fights, for 8 rounds of 2 minutes, instead of the 12 rounds of 3 minutes often practiced by professionals.
The match, broadcast live on Netflix, divided opinion in the boxing world. Many observers have expressed concern about seeing a nearly sixty-year-old lined up in a professional fight, saying they fear a serious injury.
