Real reason Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul during face-off ahead of fight

During the tense face-off, Mike Tyson appeared to lash out with a slap at Jake Paul when the famed YouTuber stepped on his foot. This altercation came after both Tyson and Paul had completed their weigh-in ahead of their hotly debated bout set for later today.

As they positioned themselves for what is traditionally the final stare-down pre-fight, Paul approached on all fours before suddenly rising, inadvertently standing on Tyson's foot, according to videos. The contact seemed to rile Tyson, age 58, into a swift slap directed at Paul, swiftly dodging any comeback.

Security was fast to defuse the situation, filling the gap between them while Paul struck a yoga pose seemingly untroubled by the clash. Tyson remained mostly mum after the fact, merely stating: "Talking's over" before departing with his following.

In contrast, 27 year old Paul downplayed the strike: "I didn't even feel it. He's angry. He's an angry little elf. Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap."

He then unleashed a torrent of sharp words, vowing a knockout in the impending clash and declaring, "It's personal now," capped with a fierce rally cry into the mike: "He must die.", reports the Mirror.

Cyber detectives quickly figured out the reason behind Tyson's furious reaction – he has a well-documented aversion to feet. Speaking to GQ Sports in 2019, Tyson revealed his dislike: "I don't know what I would do in the UFC because I watched the UFC a couple of times, and I watched these guys step on people's feet," he said.

"And I have the worst feet in the world. And if somebody steps on my feet, I would totally tap out. I would just give up, it would be a no-brainer."

Earlier that night, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano had exchanged nothing but respect before their upcoming rematch. Serrano expressed her anticipation: "This is our time, let's do the same thing we did two years ago," she stated.

"This is the defining moment for all women in boxing, this our time; we worked really hard to get into this position and I couldn't ask for a better dance partner than Katie Taylor."

Taylor responded with equal enthusiasm: "This is another huge, monumental moment for women's boxing and we're forever grateful. I've had some amazing moments in my career over the last 18 years and tomorrow night might be the biggest ever for women's boxing."