Explained: Why Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul during weigh-in

Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul during their weigh-in on Thursday night, with Tom Patti, a long-time friend of Tyson, explaining that the incident occurred because Paul had stepped on Tyson’s foot.
Footage from the weigh-in appears to show Paul momentarily stepping on the front of Tyson's right foot before quickly moving back. In response, Tyson slapped Paul across the face with his right hand and gestured towards the floor. Both of them were soon separated.
“Jake stepped on Mike’s foot, that prompted the reaction,” Patti told USA Today.
“I was there and Mike just told me,” he added.
Patti and Tyson share a long history, having trained together under Cus D’Amato in Catskill, New York. From 1982 to 1987, they lived at D’Amato’s house. Patti later entered politics, being elected to the San Joaquin County (California) Board of Supervisors in 2016, a move Tyson said he encouraged.

Paul later crawled toward Tyson before standing. Video footage suggests that Paul stepped on Tyson’s right foot with his left during this interaction.
“My personal opinion (is) Jake shows enough disrespect that he starts crawling up to Mike and then pouncing in front of him … like some sort of lurching animal. Mike put him in his place,” Patti remarked.
Despite their clash, Tyson and Paul have appeared together regularly since announcing their fight in March, often presenting as amicable. In May, both dismissed speculation that their fight was staged.
However, leading up to the fight, Tyson has appeared increasingly withdrawn, while Paul has taken on a more confrontational tone. According to Patti, Tyson’s actions at the weigh-in signal that he’s “finished with all the publicity. It’s time to fight.”