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If that were to take place in another year, Saturday’s heavyweight exhibition game between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. would feel as normal as a zombie apocalypse. Still, for better or worse, this is sort of normal for the course in 2020.
The legendary boxing champions will slip on the gloves once again in an empty Staples Center in Los Angeles for an eight-round pay-per-view showdown, rich in nostalgia but without guarantees that the value of the entertainment will be worth the price of admission.
The main cause of this uncertainty is the careful handling of the California State Athletic Commission in organizing the event.
Considering the combined age of 105 for both fighters and the fact that Tyson, 54 (50-6, 44 KOs) has not fought professionally in 15 years, the CSAC’s stance of caution makes sense. But it also created some confusion for both fighters and potential clients.
CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster has been steadfast about a select set of non-negotiable arrangements, including larger (12-ounce) gloves and two-minute rounds, even though the contest will run without a cover-up. chief. Yet it is Foster’s insistence that there will be no winner and that not every fighter will be allowed to go for a knockout that seems contrary to each competitor’s default intention.
“Who walks in the ring with the great and legendary Mike Tyson and thinks it’s a show?” Jones said on the October teleconference to promote the fight. “Twelve ounce gloves and no helmet and this is just an exhibition? Come on, be for real. Who is getting ready to face one of the most dangerous knockout punchers in boxing history and not not preparing for a real fight? “
Jones (66-9, 47 KOs), who was active as a professional as recently as 2018, has said repeatedly in interviews that he doesn’t just want to fight for a knockout, he is ready to fight for his life in the ring against the naturally taller Tyson. if the fight calls for it.
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Foster publicly countered these claims, saying the fight was for entertainment purposes only and that he would be stopped at the first sign of blood. He also echoed his previous stance by insisting that the event can’t seem more intense than a ‘hard fight’.
“Look, I don’t know what’s not a real fight,” Tyson said. “You have Mike Tyson and Roy Jones. I am coming to fight and I hope he will come to fight. That’s all you need to know.
The fact that both contestants so willingly defied the constraints imposed on the event could help add intrigue to what has already been a terrible promotion. But the commission’s tough stance could also potentially cripple any hope of reckless excitement, placing a ton of pressure on the shoulders of referee-designate Ray Corona.
Either way, the WBC certainly didn’t miss a chance to tie their mark in combat by announcing that both fighters will win a ceremonial “Front Line” title emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter” on the front of the belt. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman also named veteran boxers Christy Martin, Vinny Pazienza and Chad Dawson as judges who will each pick a winner, though Foster later claimed the three would do so from a distance in nothing more. than a ceremonial role where they will not score turn by turn.
The question then becomes, why are we doing this? For Tyson, this is for reasons that go way beyond money, especially since he has vowed to donate his scholarship to charity.
Tyson claimed he had started to become overweight and was urged to resume running by his wife. The sudden shift in fitness sparked Tyson’s competitive and addictive side. Suddenly, the fighting spirit and love for the sport that was conspicuously absent from the second half of Tyson’s career returned.
“[In 2005,] I was happy to leave the ring. I was even afraid to be in the ring. I was on drugs at the time and I was a whole different person, “Tyson said.” But I have the desire to do it now. I just feel gorgeous. I was training and a light bulb popped into my head. “
First, Tyson said he was offered the opportunity to box former pro wrestler and MMA star Bob Sapp. That conversation evolved into an offer to face former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs. As the idea of Tyson’s return continued to grow (and eventually spread to what he hopes to become an all-sports pay-per-view series called “Legends Only League”), Jones’ name finally popped up.
Although the 51-year-old Jones is naturally shorter than Tyson, having won world titles between 160 and 175 pounds throughout his prime, he shocked the world in 2003 when he rose to heavyweight just once. to surpass John Ruiz and claim the WBA title. The aftermath led to brief discussions that Jones could face a then-missing Tyson for a lot of money, but the fight never ended.
“When you get a call that says Mike Tyson wants to beat you, that’s the to-do list,” Jones said. “Everywhere I go in life, the first thing a young child asks me is, ‘Hey, have you ever fought Mike Tyson?’ Now I don’t have to say no anymore. “
While the opportunity to be Tyson’s dance partner seemed too good for Jones to pass up on, it’s clear that having a chance to end his career on his own terms was also a big draw for Tyson. . Although he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 and holds the historic note of being the youngest heavyweight champion in history, Tyson has spent more years being a self-destructive attraction than a viable elite.
For years after his retirement, Tyson was very open about his shame about his fighting days and his behavior during those years. Although he eventually bounced back from years of drug and alcohol abuse to rebrand himself commercially as an actor and star of his own solo show, it wasn’t until he experimented with psychedelic drugs that he found true healing and accepted his struggles. character.
“The last time I weighed 215 pounds, I think I was 18 or 17,” Tyson said. “I’m really happy with everything I’ve done and it’s just total trust and total admiration. I’m so happy and ready to do this stuff.
“My state of mind is totally blissful. It’s something I’ve done my whole life since I was 13. I’m more evolved now than I ever have been. My goal is to go there with the best intentions of my life and disable my opponent. That’s exactly what it is. “
For Jones, who found a successful second life in boxing as an accomplished coach and broadcaster, he also took his role seriously by dressing once again to distract his fans during such a difficult time.
“How can you say, at a time when we are going through COVID and everyone is facing adversity, why wouldn’t you want to be someone who gives people something to look forward to?” Jones said. “So when you have the greatest adversity to ever knock on your front door and ring your phone, how can you say no?”
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