Why Mike Tyson Slapped Jake Paul: Close Friend Claims It Was Retaliation

 

Mike Tyson Slaps Jake Paul at Weigh-In: Close Friend Claims It Was a Reaction to Paul Stepping on Tyson's Foot

ARLINGTON, Texas – A close friend of Mike Tyson revealed that the boxer slapped Jake Paul on Thursday night in response to Paul stepping on his foot during their weigh-in ahead of Friday's fight at AT&T Stadium.

Video footage seems to show Paul briefly stepping on the front of Tyson’s right foot before quickly pulling back. Tyson then slapped Paul across the face with his right hand and pointed toward the ground, prompting security to separate the two.

Tom Patti, a longtime friend of Tyson's, explained the incident to USA TODAY Sports in a text message: “Jake stepped on Mike’s foot, and that prompted the reaction. I was there, and Mike just told me that’s what happened.”

Patti, who trained with Tyson under legendary coach Cus D'Amato in Catskill, New York, and lived with him from 1982 to 1987, was in attendance at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving when the altercation occurred. After the weigh-in, the fighters walked to one end of the stage, where Paul allegedly crawled toward Tyson before standing up and stepping on his foot.

Patti expressed his personal view, saying, "Jake shows enough disrespect with his actions, crawling up to Mike and then lunging in front of him like some sort of animal. Mike put him in his place."

Tyson and Patti have a long history together, having trained under D'Amato, and in 2016, Patti was elected to the San Joaquin County (California) Board of Supervisors. Tyson previously mentioned that he encouraged Patti to enter politics back in 2021.

Since the fight was announced in March, Tyson and Paul had often appeared friendly during their joint appearances. In May, both fighters pushed back against rumors suggesting the fight was staged, citing their seemingly cordial interactions.

However, this week, Tyson has become more withdrawn, while Paul has adopted a more provocative stance.

Tom Patti believes Tyson’s reaction at Thursday’s weigh-in was a clear sign that he’s done with the media circus. “Mike’s finished with all the publicity. It’s time to fight,” Patti said.