- Mike Tyson and Jake Paul exchanged insults during a press conference on Thursday evening
- The former heavyweight champion said YouTuber once gave him “an erection.”
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Mike Tyson has bizarrely claimed that Jake Paul once gave him ‘an erection’ when he saw a video of the YouTuber turned boxer dancing as a 16-year-old.
The pair traded insults and expletives in Texas on Thursday night as they previewed their fight near the 80,000-seat home of the Dallas Cowboys who will host the fight.
But the press conference took a bizarre turn when Paul initially said he wanted to “kiss Mike’s big, juicy lips.”
The moderator then turned to Tyson for an answer and the 57-year-old proceeded to make a staggering claim.
In response, the former world heavyweight champion said: “He wanted to kiss me?
Mike Tyson has bizarrely claimed that Jake Paul once gave him ‘an erection’ when he was just 16
The pair exchanged insults and expletives in Texas on Thursday night as they previewed their fight
“That’s so ironic that he said that, because I saw pictures on YouTube of him dancing when he was 16, doing that dance, and for some reason I got an erection.”
Paul was unimpressed by the comment, but it prompted an uncomfortable reaction from the thousands of fans gathered for the event.
Paul continued to play down suggestions that he still hasn’t had a legitimate opponent, while Tyson simply refused to answer a question about his age.
The former heavyweight champion will turn 58 on July 20 when the fight takes place at AT&T Stadium.
‘I don’t see many people who are critical of it. Look at this,” Tyson said, pointing to the rowdy crowd at an entertainment venue near the fight site.
When a reporter suggested there were critics, Tyson said, “Who? Name me someone. You? WHO?’
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation classifies the fight as a professional fight, but it will be eight two-minute rounds instead of ten or twelve rounds of three minutes each. The gloves will be heavier (14 ounces instead of 10), which should reduce the force of punches.
Tyson retired in 2005, but recently fought Roy Jones in California in a November 2000 exhibition, which would not declare it a pro fight.
Tyson was particularly annoyed by the scene and the questions, even when he was asked what it meant to have the opportunity to fill AT&T Stadium.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation considers it a professional battle
Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano to co-main event in a rematch of their 2022 brawl
“I did this years ago, so this is nothing new to me,” said Tyson, who won 50 fights with 44 knockouts before retiring. “This is new for this young boy here.”
To loud cheers, Paul entered, responded with profanity and derogatory gestures, then cheered him on and led an expletive-laden chant directed at him by the pro-Tyson crowd.
“I hope you all keep the same energy when I knock this old man out,” Paul said.
Paul has nine wins in ten fights, three since his only loss to Tommy Fury, the young half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. One of the recent wins was in nearby Dallas against former UFC fighter Nate Diaz.
“In due time I will fight for a world championship,” Paul said to the suggestion that he has not fought a legitimate opponent, which also angered Tyson. “And I’ll make you eat your own words.”
Netflix is conducting the battle live, a first for the streaming platform. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are the co-main event in a rematch of their slugfest at Madison Square Garden two years ago.
Paul built a significant following as a YouTube influencer before embarking on a professional boxing career four years ago. Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world from 1987 to 1990.
“I respect Mike,” Paul said. ‘But it’s time. It’s my time now. I will go down as the man who took down Mike Tyson for the last time.”
