"This is like watching Batman’s parents die" - Fans react to Mike Tyson publicly slapping Jake Paul in alleged "staged and scripted" face-off moment
Mike Tyson recently stunned Jake Paul with a sudden slap during a fiery final stare-off ahead of their boxing match. ‘Iron Mike’ is set to clash with the YouTuber-turned-boxer in an eight-round heavyweight showdown this Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Following the weigh-in on Thursday, Tyson and Paul met for their final face-off, at which point 'The Problem Child' lunged forward from a low position and moved in on the boxing icon. In response to Paul getting too close, Tyson swiftly unleashed an open-handed slap that landed cleanly on Paul’s face. Security quickly stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Check out the video of the incident between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul below:
Combat sports fans had mixed reactions to 'Iron Mike' slapping Paul, with many speculating that the incident was staged to generate hype for the upcoming bout.
One fan wrote:
"That was definitely staged and scripted."
Another wrote:
"God this is like watching Batman’s parents die."
Another commented:
"That was lightning fast; ole Mike still got it. Jake Paul better guard that chin-heavy the first three rounds if he makes that far."
Check out some more reactions below:
The Paul vs. Tyson matchup has faced intense scrutiny since its announcement, largely due to the 31-year age gap between the two fighters—a record-breaking age difference in professional boxing history.
'The Problem Child' enters the ring fresh off a sixth-round knockout victory over Mike Perry in July. In contrast, Tyson stepped away from professional boxing after his defeat to Kevin McBride in June 2005. The legendary former undisputed heavyweight champion, however, made a brief comeback for an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020.
Mike Tyson reveals why he slapped Jake Paul during their face-off
During a recent interview with The New York Post, Mike Tyson revealed that his unexpected slap to Jake Paul was in response to 'The Problem Child' stepping on his toe—a move Tyson believes may have been deliberate:
"I was in my socks, and he had on shoes. He stepped on my toe because he is a f**king a**hole. 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."