Mike Tyson  received an important phone call minutes before he was set to face Jake Paul in his first professional fight in nearly two decades.

Nineteen years after hanging up his gloves following a disappointing loss to Irish veteran Kevin McBride in 2005, Tyson returned to the ring on Friday to take on social media star Jake Paul.

The fight was streamed live globally on   Netflix   in a first for the streaming giant, as fans tuned in to see if the former undisputed champion could turn back the years against an opponent 31 years his junior.

However, in the end Tyson was unable to pull off an upset against Paul, as he lumbered around the ring and lacked the explosive movement that was so critical to his effectiveness during his prime as a fighter.

Paul managed to stay safe throughout the eight two-minute rounds, bombarding his opponent with punches en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Tyson landed just 18 punches during the controversial fight and did not appear at the post-fight press conference.

Mike Tyson received a good luck call from Turki Alalshikh before his showdown with Jake Paul

Saudi boxing boss is said to be a “big supporter” of former undisputed heavyweight king

Despite suffering a unanimous decision loss, Tyson hinted that his return to the ring might not be over.

However, a member of his team revealed that shortly before making his entrance Tyson had received a call from Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh.

“He received a phone call from a good friend of his and great supporter, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, when he was in the locker room just before he left,” Tyson’s team revealed.

‘His Excellency wished him well, told him how proud he was of him and gave him a great pep talk.’

Despite his disappointing showing, Tyson insisted after the fight that he was “happy” with his performance and indicated that his comeback to the sport he once dominated may not be over yet.

Speaking in the ring after the loss, Tyson even hinted at a possible future showdown with Jake’s brother, WWE star Logan Paul.  

Speaking to Mail Sport after the fight  , Jake’s brother Logan said of Tyson: “I think Jake let him live.”

He added: “He’s tough, I’m proud of him, he weathered the storm against a young brute called   Jake Paul  .”

Asked if he would take the fight to Tyson, he simply said: ‘No!

“I think he wants money, I don’t think he wants to fight me.”