Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul at weigh-in as rivals separated ahead of blockbuster fight

Mike Tyson delivered a slap to Jake Paul as tensions flared during their final face-off before Friday's bout. The 58-year-old boxing icon is making a comeback to the ring after nearly two decades since his last professional fight.

The incident occurred when Paul approached Tyson on all fours, then suddenly stood up during their staredown, prompting Tyson to strike him across the face. Recoiling from the slap, Paul was quick to dismiss its impact, saying: "I didn't even feel it, he's angry. He's an angry little elf and he's getting knocked the f*** out. I'm f***ing knocking him out. He hits like a b****. It's personal now; he must die."

Tyson, who tipped the scales at 228.4lb at Thursday's weigh-in compared to Paul's 227.2lb, offered a terse comment: "It's time". The weigh-in results were initially kept under wraps until the public event later that day. Tyson's weight was recorded at 233lb for his last professional match - a loss to Kevin McBride in 2000 - and reached up to 239lb at times during his career.

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Paul, traditionally fighting at cruiserweight, has never exceeded 200lb but has bulked up in anticipation of facing Tyson. Previously, Paul weighed in at 200lb for his bout against Mike Perry in July, which came about after Tyson postponed their scheduled fight due to health issues.

Tyson had suffered an inflamed ulcer on a flight, leading to a collapse and coughing up blood, which necessitated the delay of his return to the ring until this week.

Discussing his weight gain, Paul mentioned recently: "I've just been trying to eat as much as