Right image via sportlife.news //
Keen to see the baddest man on the planet return to the ring…
In glorious news for boxing heads all around, Iron Mike is set to return to the ring, and he’s got an opponent who’s down to do the dance with him. None other than former heavyweight champ Roy Jones Jr. will take on Tyson in the ring, in an eight-round exhibition bout in California, set for September 12 (AET).
If you’re unfamiliar with Jones Jr, he’s carved out his own unique corner in boxing history, being the only boxer to start at junior middleweight before going on to win a heavyweight title. He actually had no intention of returning to the sport, but the offer was too good to refuse, the 51-year-old saying “I had no intention of going back and fighting again but, for the sake of Mike Tyson, I agree to make an exception. For me, this is an opportunity that I cannot refuse. Of all those who wanted to go into the ring with him, he chose me. And since he did that, how can I say no?”
And Tyson himself has pretty pure motives for returning, not doing it for any personal gain or glory, the 53-year-old stating that “It’s going to be for various charities so no one has to worry about me getting rich, or getting jealous or saying I’m doing this for money. I just feel good doing this because I can”. Even though it’s a huge departure from the Iron Mike of the 90s, we’re not at all mad at this energy.
There are numerous safeguards in place for the matchup, given the age of both fighters, with boxing scribe Kevin Iole stating that “They aren’t going to try for KOs”, along with the CSAC stating that “the referee will have the authority to stop the fight if it strays outside the boundaries of a competitive boxing exhibition”.
The fight is set to take place in Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Los Angeles, and although a time hasn’t been set, we can assume it’ll be a Saturday night in the U.S. (most likely Sunday lunchtime in Australia), so we’ll be more than able to watch the bout live.
Safe to say we’re keen as for this. Check out highlights of Iron Mike hitting the pads earlier this year and get hyped for the comeback of a lifetime.
