Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr roll back years but boxing is no game at any

Boxing lived up to its reputation as the theatre of the unexpected with Saturday night’s much-anticipated exhibition fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Shockingly, it wasn’t terrible.
The two quinquagenarian fistic legends fought to an unofficial split draw in their eight-round outing, which headlined a fast-moving, sleekly produced telecast from a first-time broadcaster filled with unexpectedly entertaining fights and seamlessly integrated musical performances.

Yes, the main event was nostalgia porn that promised customers a glimpse of what made Tyson and Jones such compelling athletes in their prime. But it improbably delivered. Tyson spent most of the night squarely in his opponent’s chest, conjuring the energy to explode with a combination once or twice a round.

Jones, weighed down by inferior conditioning, spent most of the night keeping his distance, looking to peck away with counterpunches. As it was sanctioned as an exhibition, there was no official scoring. But the World Boxing Council commissioned three former fighters to score it remotely and hand down an unofficial result.

Christy Martin scored it 79-73 for Tyson, Vinny Pazienza (absurdly) had it 80-76 for Jones while Chad Dawson scored it 76-76. (The Guardian had it 79-73 for Tyson.)Expectations for the event were so tempered that anything but a total farce could have been considered a win.

But the entire event came off so well that afterwards Tyson was bubbling with enthusiasm to do it again as soon as possible. The former undisputed world heavyweight champion said during a lengthy post-fight news conference that he wants to fight “once every two months”, primarily to support his charitable efforts. “This is better than fighting for championships,” Tyson said. “We’re humanitarians now. We can do something good for the world. We’ve got to do this again.” He added: “It has to be competitive.

I once had 15 fights in one year. Let’s just try and work closer to that.”It wasn’t long before the idea was raised of Tyson fighting exhibitions against the present-day heavyweight champions, a prospect the self-described “egomaniac” did not dismiss outright. “They probably could take me now, but could they take me 10 fights later – if I have 10 fights?” he said. Let’s not get carried away. Remember, the California State Athletic Commission approved Saturday’s event as an exhibition, and not without criticism. Tyson and Jones fought two-minute rounds instead of the usual three and used the larger 12oz gloves, which deliver less force than the 10oz standard for heavyweights.

The highly controlled setting ensured the fighters’ safety. Andy Foster, the executive director of the CSAC, said Tyson and Jones would be on a short leash and the referee would be ready with a quick hook to intervene if it did get hairy. “We can’t mislead the public as to this is some kind of real fight. They can get into it a little bit, but I don’t want people to get hurt. They know the deal.”Tyson, who weighed in
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×