Maximum tension… or commedia dell’arte? Heavyweight legend Mike Tyson slapped YouTuber Jake Paul as the two men faced each other for the last time on Thursday before their duel in the ring on Friday night, carried by the heavyweight giant streaming Netflix.
The 58-year-old Tyson slapped Paul with his right hand after the official weigh-in for the boxing fight scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. local time (2 a.m. Saturday French time) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. A crowd of security quickly moved in to separate the two fighters after the incident, before “Iron Mike” was removed.
Tyson, who was weighed at 103.4kg after stepping on the scales wearing only underwear, barely spoke before leaving the scene. “The discussion is over,” he simply said before leaving with the members of his entourage.
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 mate,” said Paul, weighed in at 103kg.
“He must die!” »
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 the pros.
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.
