I’m not getting my (expletive) bit off on Friday night, so I got my diamond-spiked ear covers right there,’’ Paul said, a reference to Tyson famously biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1997 fight.

A menacing, 58-year-old Tyson looked ready to knock someone out in the final news brief before the big event, promising: ‘I’m not going to lose.’

Whether you look at the Tyson-Paul bout as a serious boxing match or a sideshow, a lot of people will have their eyes on this spectacle including as many as 60,000 in person at AT&T Stadium. It's billed to be the most-watched combat sports event of all time.