Mike Tyson explains why he slapped Jake Paul during weigh-in ahead of Friday’s fight on Netflix

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul certainly have made their disdain for one another clear leading up to Friday’s highly-anticipated fight on Netflix. During Thursday night’s ceremonial weigh-in, Tyson slapped Paul across the face when the two came toe-to-toe at an event in Las Colinas, Texas.

Following the weigh-in, Tyson revealed why he struck Paul.

“I was in my socks and he had on shoes,” Tyson told The New York Post after the weigh-in. “He stepped on my toe because he is a f–king asshole. 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,” Tyson added.

Leading up to the slap, Paul made his way over to Tyson, and video shows Paul stepping on Tyson’s foot. Paul had sneakers on, while Tyson was standing in just his socks.

“He hits like a bitch … He must die,” Paul said after the altercation.

“Jake has been poking the bear the whole time. Mike slapped the shit out of him,” a Tyson representative told The New York Post.

Tyson, 58, will make his return to the ring for the first time since 2020 when he faced Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition fight. The fight ended up being declared a draw after it went the full eight rounds. 

Meanwhile, Paul carries a 10-1 career record as a boxer with his most recent win coming via TKO against former UFC fighter Mike Perry on July 20, the original date of the Tyson-Paul bout. Paul has also defeated the likes of former lightweight/welterweight UFC fighter Nate Diaz, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and former NBA player Nate Robinson. His lone loss came against Tommy Fury via split decision in February 2023.

Friday’s fight, a sanctioned bout, will consist of eight two-minute rounds, and, to mitigate possible injury, Tyson and Paul will use 14-ounce gloves instead of 10-ounce gloves typically used by professional boxers. The undercard will begin at 8 p.m. ET, with the main events likely not starting for about two hours.