Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul after weighing in at the Toyota Music Factory. (Photo: Reuters/Imagn Images/Kevin Jairaj)

Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul in final face-off before Netflix bout

The fight is the first live boxing match that Netflix has aired, as the streamer with more than 280 million subscribers makes inroads into the sports arena.

15 Nov 2024, 01:42 · CNA · Join

Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout on Thursday, Nov. 14 2024, in Irving, Texas. (Photo: AP/Julio Cortez)

Promoter Nakisa Bidarian co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, steps in the way of Mike Tyson after Tyson slapped Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout. (Photo: AP/Julio Cortez)

Jake Paul reacts after being slapped by Mike Tyson during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, on Nov 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (Photo: AP/Julio Cortez)

Mike Tyson could not wait to put on the gloves to take a shot at upcoming opponent Jake Paul, striking the social media influencer-turned-boxer in the face as they approached each other at Thursday's (Nov 14) weigh-in at Arlington, Texas.

The one-time "Baddest Man on the Planet", 58-year-old Tyson is returning to the ring for his first professional fight in 19 years against "ultimate heel" Paul in the wildly anticipated showdown at AT&T Stadium on Friday.

There was no love lost between the two as Tyson, who weighed in at 228.4 pounds (103.6kg), approached Paul and immediately slapped the 27-year-old in the face and offered a two-word televised remark before walking off stage: "Talking's over."

Paul, who gained a cult following on YouTube before turning to boxing four years ago, was far more loquacious, offering an expletive-riddled rant about his plans to demolish Tyson, who has a 50-6 record with 44 knockouts.

"He's angry, he's an angry little elf," said Paul, who weighed in at 227.2 pounds. "It's personal now - he must die!"

The fight is the first live boxing match that Netflix has aired, as the streamer with more than 280 million subscribers makes inroads into the sports arena.

The match has drawn extraordinary global interest but also criticism, with British promoter Eddie Hearn dismissing the bout as "dangerous, irresponsible and disrespectful to boxing".

Boxer Mike Tyson takes part in a weigh-in ahead of his heavyweight boxing fight against US boxer and actor Jake Paul at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, on Nov 14, 2024. (Photo: AFP/TIMOTHY A CLARY)

Jake Paul poses on the scale during his ceremonial weigh-in at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on Nov 14, 2024 in Irving, Texas. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Christian Petersen)

Tyson, a beloved pop culture icon in America despite his 1992 rape conviction, insisted to Reuters in an interview last month that the fight was not about the payday.

"This is not for financial reasons. My life is not going to change, not one percentage after this fight. We will always be able to live this way," he said.

"And I'm just doing it because I want to test myself."

A general view of the fighters on the card for the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory. (Photo: Reuters/Imagn Images/Kevin Jairaj)

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