Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson has divided opinion among boxing purists and casuals alike. But there is no doubt who most fans in Dallas are backing in the run-up to their fight on Friday night.
As Paul entered the stage to weigh in ahead of his heavyweight bout with Tyson, he was booed by some of the hundreds in attendance. Some even broke into chants of "---- Jake Paul” as it quickly became apparent he will play the familiar villain role.
By sharp contrast, the appearance of Tyson was met by a huge roar. As he has been all week, the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ was the star attraction with his aura and legend meaning he remains a huge favorite with fans from far and wide.
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After being very quiet and disconnected at Wednesday’s press conference, Tyson finally snapped as he was approached by a crawling Paul ready for their face off. Tyson responded by slapping his opponent, sparking a brief melee on stage.
He had very little to say afterwards, simply saying “I’m ready” before walking off the stage when asked why he slapped Paul. Paul, on the other hand, threatened to kill his opponent when they meet in the ring at AT&T Stadium.
Paul said: "I didn't even feel it. He’s angry. He's an angry little elf and he's getting knocked the ---- out.
“I'm ------- knocking him out. He hits like a ——-. It’s personal now; he must die.”
On Wednesday, Paul insisted the fight won’t go the distance. He declared: “No, someone's getting put to sleep. It’s going to be a war and we're both heavy hitters. It's not going the full 16 minutes.”
While there has been plenty of fanfare around events this week, they will pale into insignificance when an expected crowd of around 75,000 packs into the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
“Well, the people speak for themselves,” Paul said on Wednedsay. “I don't even have to ask them. [This is the] biggest live gate in US boxing history outside of Las Vegas. Numbers don't lie.
“People want to see this and that's an amazing accomplishment. Credit to Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano and Mike and everyone on the card as well. [...]
“We all did this together, and this is a statement that we had the biggest live gate outside of Vegas in US boxing history.”
