Former undisputed heavyweight world champion, Mike Tyson and former four-division world champion, Roy Jones Jr. will square off in an exhibition bout this weekend 28 November 2020 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The anticipated comeback between the two fighters begun when Tyson posted a video of himself training in his social media accounts.
The speculation got more fueled when he declared at the end of the video, “I’m back”.
Following his videos in Instagram and Facebook, a lot of offers from different fight promoters came to the table.
What is more enticing to the fans was against his former rival, Evander Holyfield. Nicknamed “The Real Deal”, Holyfield also shared a video of his own six days after with the caption, “Are you ready?”
After two months of back and forth negotiations between the former world champions failed to materialize, Roy Jones Jr. entered the picture.
It was announced last 24 July 2020 that Jones signed a contract to face Tyson.
For the younger generations, Mike Tyson — with 50 wins, 44 by way of knockout, six defeats, and two no contests — was remembered for biting a piece of Holyfield’s ear during their rematch in 1997 billed as “the Sound and the Fury”.
The battle infamously called as “the Bite Fight” or “the Bite of ‘97” overshadowed Tyson’s storied career inside the ring.
The controversial fighter has 58 matches under his belt, he made a name for himself and left a rich and colorful legacy.
He was the hailed as Fighter of the Year in 1986 and 1988 by The Ring magazine. He was also included in the list of “The Greatest Heavyweight of All-Time” at No. 14 by the same magazine.
On 12 June 2011, came the icing of the cake of his boxing career. Tyson was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame alongside fellow legendary champion Julio Cesar Chavez.
He last fought in an official match in 2005 against Kevin McBride. He lost in a corner stoppage at the sixth round.
Roy Jones Jr. on the other hand who has 66 victories, 47 by way of knockout, and 9 defeats, ended his career on a higher note.
He won his last bout against Scott Sigmon last 2018 in a unanimous decision and won the vacant WBU cruiserweight title.
Same with Tyson, Jones also left mark of his own in boxing.
He started his career representing the United States as an amateur at the 1988 Summer Olympics and winning a silver medal.
The Captain Hook ended up winning four weight classes in his professional career including titles in middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.
Among his several accolades was The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1994 and a three-time winner of the ESPY Award in 1996, 2000, and 2003.
The question now for each and everyone is how the match will pan out.
It was reported lately that both fighters are not allowed to knock each other out.
Aside from that there will be no ringside judges, and therefore no winner will be announced.
In case of a cut, the bout is immediately over. Endurance and stamina will surely have its toll for both fighters, Tyson is already 54 years old and Jones is three years younger.
This is not the first time Tyson will be fighting in an exhibition match.
In 2006, he returned to the ring to face Corey “T-Rex” Sanders. The four-round bout didn’t live up to expectations and ended up with the crowd booing with dismay.
The Tyson-Jones fight card also includes Youtuber Jake Paul against former NBA player Nate Robinson in a six-round cruiserweight bout.
