Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul during a fiery weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight fight on Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The dramatic moment capped an unconventional event that has stirred controversy throughout fight week.
Chaos at the Final Face-Off
Jake Paul, 27, and Mike Tyson, 58, took to the stage for their final head-to-head after weighing in. Paul theatrically crawled across the floor before rising to Tyson’s eyeline. Tyson, who had ignored Paul’s provocations all week, slapped the novice boxer across the face, triggering a frenzy as security and team members separated the two.
As Tyson walked off, he declared, “Talking’s over.” Paul, unfazed, sat down and appeared to meditate before addressing the crowd.
“I didn’t even feel it,” Paul said, grinning. “He’s angry. He’s an angry little elf. That slap was cute, Mike, but tomorrow, you’re getting knocked out.”
Tyson, a two-time world champion who last fought professionally in 2005, weighed in at 16 stone 4 pounds. Paul was just a pound lighter.
Calm Amid the Chaos: Taylor vs Serrano
While Tyson and Paul dominated the headlines, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano provided a composed contrast. The two weighed in smoothly, exchanged respectful words, and expressed their shared commitment to advancing women’s boxing.
“This is the defining moment for all women in boxing,” Serrano said. “Let’s do what we did two years ago but better.”
Taylor narrowly defeated Serrano in their first meeting in 2022, an epic lightweight clash. Their rematch, at light-welterweight, sees both fighters weighing 9 stone 11 pounds.
Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn, despite criticising the Tyson-Paul spectacle, praised Taylor. “Tomorrow night will be one of my best moments ever,” she said.
A Spectacle Like No Other
The weigh-in was far from conventional. Official weights were kept private until Thursday night’s ceremonial event. Fans queued for hours to enter the venue, where a boxing punch machine featuring Paul’s face provided entertainment. Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders performed, and two towering Transformer-like figures roamed the crowd.
The slap between Tyson and Paul silenced the packed arena of 3,000 spectators momentarily but will likely dominate social media ahead of the fight.
When the two meet in the ring, one thing is certain: nobody can predict what will happen next.