Maverick Declan
Even the normal naysayers are finding it hard not to be at least a little excited about Mike Tyson’s return.
He may be 54 years old and facing 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr, but Iron Mike remains the single most popular figure in boxing and news he’s planning to fight again was widely met with fascination.
Fighters ranging from heavyweight stars Andy Ruiz and Shannon Briggs to UFC champs Henry Cejudo and Anthony Pettis were all psyched while The Rock declared: “I’m here for this in every conceivable way.”
Tyson and Jones Jr will meet at heavyweight in Los Angeles on September 13 in an eight-round exhibition that will be broadcast on pay-per-view around the world.
Veteran boxing scribe Kevin Iole reported both men had indicated to the California State Athletic Commission they would not be attempting to take each other’s heads off.
“You’ll see them throwing punches but I don’t think you’re going to see that big Iron Mike left hook that he frightened so many people with,” Iole said.
“If I were to pick a winner I’d have to go with Roy Jones. He’s fought more recently and if Mike doesn’t have that advantage of his power, you’d have to favour Roy Jones.”
But Tyson isn’t planning on going easy on Jones Jr. “I’m a neophyte at taking it easy,” he told ESPN. “I don’t know how to do it that well, I’m just one-speed forward. I don’t know, Roy is just gonna have to deal with that.”
There were some who weren’t quite as keen.
CBS Sports writer Morgan Campbell said: “Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones would have been a lot of fun in 1999… Fun in that I’d have enjoyed watching RJJ make 8 figures to dissect Tyson. Pretty sure Tyson-RJJ isn’t what we need in 2020 tho. They’re both old, so I suppose it’s evenly-matched. That doesn’t make it safe.”
Boxing journo Dan Rafael was also lukewarm. “If you know Roy Jones, he’s always come to fight. Tyson is Tyson. (But) we don’t know at their age, both in their 50s, what they can still do,” he said.
“I don’t love the idea of it because I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, they’ve had their day and been great champs, but they’re grown men and if the commission sanctions it … what can you do? The fans will enjoy it, I suppose.”
Tyson, who has looked spectacular in recent training videos posted on social media, says he’s ready to put on a show.
“I feel like I took better care of my body and my state of mind then most of the fighters before me that retired and came back,” he told ESPN.
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