It’s understood that the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight in Dallas that will air around the globe on Netflix will draw a ton of viewers more for curiosity and celebrity rather than it being some kind of grudge match or legitimate bout.
The participants tried their best to change that narrative at the weigh in on Thursday.
Boxing weigh-ins have always had a “sports entertainment” WWE vibe to them where you have come to expect some physicality or at least some major trash talk between the participants. But not many people could have expected the Tyson-Paul weigh in to go up in intensity several notches like it did.
As the combatants squared off for the customary photo op, Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul across the face. Of course, Netflix quickly promoted the incident.
MIKE TYSON HITS JAKE PAUL AT THE WEIGH IN #PaulTyson
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LIVE ON NETFLIX
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
8 PM ET | 5 PM PT pic.twitter.com/kFU40jVvk0— Netflix (@netflix) November 15, 2024
Paul had been challenged before the fight by a reporter when he would begin to take on legitimate contenders in his weight class rather than retired MMA fighters or aging boxing legends. Paul notably lost his first and only fight to an active boxer in Tommy Fury. Sensing the attention on Jake Paul, maybe Mike Tyson feels as though he’s been overlooked at 58 years old and wants to remind everyone what made him a ferocious presence in the ring.
Real? Spontaneous? Pre-planned? Whatever the case, if it sells a few more Netflix subscriptions and gets more fans to tune in on Friday night, it will have done its job.
[Netflix]
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