Mike Tyson slap sparks brutal four-word response from Jake Paul ahead of $80m boxing fight

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul have come to blows as they faced off ahead of their highly anticipated boxing bout. As Paul approached the 58-year-old for a stare-down at the weigh-ins on Thursday (Friday AEDT), Paul stepped on the toe of the one-time 'Baddest Man on the Planet', who reacted by squaring up and landing a vicious slap on the face of the social media influencer-turned-boxer.

After whacking Paul in the face Tyson simply said: "Talking's over" before walking off stage. But Paul, who gained a massive following on social media before turning to boxing four years ago, used the opportunity to continue to talk smack about his opponent, as he detailed his plan to knock out Tyson, who has a 50-6 record with 44 knockouts.

"I didn't even feel it," said Paul, who weighed in at 227.2 pounds. "Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap, buddy, but tomorrow you're getting knocked the f*ck out. ... It's personal now! He must die!"

The pair's fight has drawn massive global interest but also extensive criticism, with British promoter Eddie Hearn labelling the bout "dangerous, irresponsible and disrespectful to boxing." Tyson, a beloved fighter, insisted to Reuters in an interview last month the fight was not about the payday but many feel it is. And the overwhelming feeling is at 58 years old Tyson shouldn't be stepping back into the ring, let alone against a man who wasn't born the last time he was a world champion.

"Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot," the prominent British fight promoter Hearn said this week. “If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening."

What time is Mike Tyson and Jake Paul's fight in Australia?

The fight will take place on Friday night in Texas, but it will be Saturday afternoon here in Australia. The fight card will get underway at 12pm AEDT, with Tyson and Paul the last to make the walk to the ring a couple of hours later.

How to watch Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight on Netflix?

The entire card will be available to watch only on streaming platform Netflix. It is the first time the streaming giant has ventured into live boxing and it will be free to watch for all Netflix subscribers.

For those not subscribed, the starting price for a Netflix subscription is $7.99 per month. And given Netflix has almost 283 million subscribers across the globe, the fight has the potential to be one of the most-watched boxing events in history.

Who is Jake Paul and why is he fighting Mike Tyson?

Paul is a professional boxer who rose to fame on social media, gaining a major following. By the time he was 16 years old, he had an incredible 5.3 million followers and more than two billion views online. He then launched his own YouTube channel before transitioning into boxing.

Paul has 10 wins and 1 loss as a boxer and draws massive audiences to see his boxing exploits despite having just 11 professional fights. This is largely due to his popularity outside the ring but Paul has repeatedly said he wishes to take on the biggest names in boxing to test himself and prove that he is a great boxer in his own right.

How old is Mike Tyson and when did he last fight?

A two-time heavyweight champion, Tyson last held the heavyweight title in November 1996, two months before Paul was born. He is now 58 and hasn't fought professionally since 2005 when he quit on his stool against Kevin McBride before announcing his retirement.

How much will Mike Tyson and Jake Paul make from the fight?

Paul and Tyson will make around $40 million and $20 million respectively from the fight. While the exact amount has not been disclosed to the public, due to Paul's promoting capabilities and widespread appeal he is set to rake in double the amount of Tyson from the fight. However, it is safe to say both are in for a major payday.

What are the rules and why are they using heavier gloves?

The fight will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds. The hope is that a shorter fight with shorter rounds - eight two-minute rounds rather than 10 or 12 three-minute rounds - will make it less taxing on Tyson given his age.

The fighters will also wear heavier gloves for a similar reason. The pair will strap on 14-ounce gloves (396 grams) instead of the traditional 10-ounce mitts (283 grams). The theory is that the heavier gloves can't be swung as quickly and the extra padding also softens the punches, somewhat reducing the damage each strike causes.