The much anticipated and repeatedly delayed Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul contest is finally happening. And as the boxers on the under-card claim their spot under the spotlight before the main event, athletes from nearly every sport are picking their winner. Hence, it’s not surprising that two-time Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek posted his pick on X.

Less than an hour ago, the 26-year-old track and field star took to X to tell his followers about the fight. “Mike Tyson or Jake Paul?” asked the Olympian. He started off the thread by naming who he’s picking to win the contest. “I got Tyson,” KungFu Kenny revealed in his post. It seems the controversial nature of the matchup has made it a talking point across sports.

The combat sports community, including UFC athletes, has spoken about the high-profile fight endlessly. In fact, Kenny Bednarek isn’t the only one rooting for 58-year-old Mike Tyson. The fact that Jake Paul has bragged about knocking out a fighter 31 years older than him didn’t sit well with many in the combat sports community.

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland expressed his disdain at the 27-year-old “fighting a 60-year-old,” inside the ring. Reigning, Dricus Du Plessis agreed with his middleweight rivals to take on the highly anticipated fight. “Don’t always agree with you but I second that!” said the champion. He also agreed with Kenny Bednarek’s pick on X.

“Still believe Iron Mike KO’s him,” Du Plessis claimed. Another individual who shares his winning pick with is none other than Canadian rap icon Drake. Drake bet $355,000 on Mike Tyson to win the bout against Jake Paul. The potential payout from the bet could cross an eyewatering $1 million. However, the rapper’s bet raised alarm bells for combat sports enthusiasts.

While it’s no surprise that celebrities are excited about the fight, Drake is infamous for his “curse.” among fight fans. That’s because whether it’s UFC icons or boxing legends, whoever Drake puts money on, often loses the bout. Paul himself lost his first pro boxing bout the day Drake bet on him. “When Drake finally bet on me against Tommy Fury, I lost as well. I feel like it’s actually real,” he said during the BS w/Jake Paul podcast. However, neither fighter would’ve paid attention to who’s winning the pick polls after what happened at the weigh-in.

Mike Tyson’s slap raised the stakes even further, exciting boxing fans like Kenny Bednarek

While everyone from track and field stars such as Kenney Bednarek to celebrities like Drake were busy picking their winners, things became personal after ‘slap gate’ at the weigh-in. A fresh round of controversy erupted at the ceremonial weigh-in ahead of the fight when Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul. It was a shot move no one saw coming, and the internet immediately dug deep to find the reason behind Tyson’s slap.

Upon closer inspection of the footage, eagle-eyed fans spotted that the 27-year-old had stepped on the former heavyweight champion’s foot. Championship Rounds on X confirmed the same. “Seems like the reason Mike Tyson slapped Jake Paul is because he stepped on his foot,” they posted on the social media platform. However, Paul didn’t take the slap lightly.

Jake Paul blasted his 58-year-old opponent in an interview after the incident. “I didn’t even feel it. He’s angry. He’s an angry little elf. Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap, buddy,” the young pugilist with a 10-1 record mocked Tyson. He also had a warning for the boxing legend. “Tomorrow you’re getting knocked the f–k out… He hits like a b–h, it’s personal now, he must die!” said Jake Paul. With the main event up next on Netflix, Kenny Bednarek and boxing fans will soon find out if they made the right pick.