Mike Tyson landed the first blow on Jake Paul one day before they face off in a contest that has split opinion in the boxing world.
‘Iron’ Mike slapped Paul in the face at their final weigh-in head-to-head, adding hype to the contest that has already been backed by a Netflix mini-series and extreme promotion.
His actions only furthered the circus-vibe of the fight, which some former opponents of Tyson’s believe he can win whereas others think it’s a big step too far given the huge gap in age and activity.
Paul – whilst nowhere near the level of Tyson in his prime – has been boxing consistently for four years, mostly against former UFC fighters. One of those was Nate Diaz, who the 27-year-old beat over the distance in August of last year.
Reacting to the slap, Diaz made it clear who he was backing in the contest.
“Let’s go Mike. F**k Jake.”
That would certainly be a safer approach for Tyson, who had to postpone the initial date due to a serious stomach ulcer. At 58 and almost 20 years away from his pro career, even the two-minute rounds may be too much for the veteran.
Paul used the slap to say the fight was now ‘personal’ and promise viewers that he would knock Tyson out.
