Mike Tyson asked to "forget the script" against Jake Paul by Saudi Arabia's top official

A prominent Saudi official recently reached out to Mike Tyson with a request ahead of his upcoming bout against Jake Paul. Tyson is gearing up to return to the squared circle against Paul in an eight-round heavyweight showdown scheduled to take place on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The event will be available for live streaming on Netflix and will be accessible to all subscribers.

Tyson's last fight was an exhibition clash, which ended in a draw against Roy Jones Jr. four years ago, and his last professional bout ended with him quitting on his stool against Kevin McBride in 2005.

Despite the magnitude of the event, the fight between Paul and Tyson has garnered widespread criticism from both fans and critics. This outcry primarily arises from the striking 31-year age difference between the two fighters.

Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh, credited with revolutionizing the boxing landscape, took a jab at the Paul vs. Tyson bout and advised the boxing legend to deviate from the planned script. He shared a picture of himself with the former world heavyweight champion on X, accompanied by a caption which read:

"Please, brother Mike, forget the script and beat this guy!"

Check out Turki Alalshikh's post below:

Alalshikh has previously expressed his disinterest in influencer boxing and firmly stated that he would not consider hosting any sort of celebrity boxing event in Saudi Arabia.

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What project did Mike Tyson and Turki Alalshikh collaborate on?

Last November, Mike Tyson opened a cutting-edge boxing facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The establishment of this gym is part of a broader initiative spearheaded by Turki Alalshikh, a Saudi adviser, aimed at positioning Saudi Arabia as a leading destination for major sporting events. This initiative has been hugely successful, and has led to huge events, such as the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou card last October.

Alalshikh has teamed up with renowned boxing trainer Joe Gallagher to oversee the gym, aiming to discover and develop new boxing talent in the Middle East. 'Iron Mike' is also actively engaged in managing the gym's operations.