THE REASON BEHIND THE INSTANT SLAP FROM MIKE TYSON ON JAKE PAUL THE DAY BEFORE THE FIGHT
The most recent controversy surrounding Mike Tyson and Jake Paul's major bout occurred when the two boxers squared off at last night's weigh-in. Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul across the cheek as the two boxers faced off, seemingly displaying strained tempers. Fans were drawn to the shocking move, and some now think they understand why the older boxer slapped his younger opponent.
There is obviously no love lost between the two, as evidenced by the numerous slanging matches they have exchanged before tonight, but the slap has left fans wondering what could have enraged Tyson. Paul, 27, crawled up to his opponent while facing away from him and was promptly slapped. After the vicious blow, Paul staggered backwards while security pushed Tyson away from Paul.
Paul then blew kisses as he was led away, taunting the 58-year-old. Speaking after the slap, the YouTuber said: "I didn't even feel it. He's angry. He's an angry little elf."
However, a close-up video of the two meeting reveals Paul stepping on Tyson's toes with his trainers just before the slap occurs, leading online fans to believe they have figured out why Tyson reacted.
"It appears that Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul because he stepped on his foot," a fan commented on Twitter. In response, a different fan said: "He bumped Tyson's bunions. must hurt.
"Mike's foot problems are well-known. "Everyone who follows Tyson knows he has a lot of foot issues, but I'm not saying this isn't staged," a third person said.
One person said, "I dunno if it added to it, but he was moving up like a gorilla as well."
Others have called Paul's crawl offensive. "No one is commenting about the ape walk by Paul?" said another.
"It appears that Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul for something as trivial as stepping on his foot," another fan thought.
Even though it might seem insignificant, given the circumstances and the tension between the two, it might have been sufficient to cause a reaction. Tyson is renowned for having a fiery temper, and Jake Paul is constantly in the news due to his brazen demeanour. It serves as a reminder that even minor issues can quickly turn into major ones in the world of combat sports.
Many have wondered why Tyson is going back into the ring after nearly two decades of retirement, particularly to take on an amateur like Paul, ahead of this evening's fight.
Even though he would receive a sizable payout, he maintained that money had no role in his choice.
Tyson stated, "This fight is not going to change my life financially," in response to a question from the media, about how much he thought he could earn from the bout. “It wouldn't make a financial difference in my life if I did it for free. You don't have to fight this battle, my wife tells me all the time.”
He continued by explaining his motivation for agreeing to the well-known fight: "This is me, this is what I want to do. I'm looking for my glory.”