Carl Froch has questioned whether the eight-round exhibition bout between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr will end prematurely in a no-contest.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson, 53, and former undisputed light heavyweight champion Jones Jr, 51, are scheduled to meet in a charity bout in Los Angeles on September 12.
Froch, who retired six years ago as the reigning WBA and IBF super middleweight champion after previously holding the WBC title in the same weight class, questioned Tyson’s mental fortitude and said he wouldn’t be surprised to see a reprisal of his infamous ‘bite fight’ against Evander Holyfield in 1997.
“Would he lose the plot like he did against Holyfield and take a chunk of the old ear off?” he asked on his Froch on Fighting podcast.
“There could be a danger where he gets really frustrated.
“Those 16-ounce gloves are going to be more difficult to knock his opponent out. And then they’re going to be blowing out of their arse after three or four rounds, surely?”
Froch cited fitness combined with age as the key concern for how the fight would play out.
“We’re blowing out of our arse after four rounds as young professional fighters, we just manage the recovery and breathe differently and go a bit flat-footed through the fight,” he said.
“But when you’re in your 50s, you’re absolutely exhausted and you can’t recover.
“Your fitness is your ability to recover and you can’t recover when you’re old.
“So there is a danger of this becoming a no-contest after four rounds, there really is.”
Tyson has not fought since his knockout loss to Kevin McBride in Washington 15 years ago.
Jones Jr was last in action two-and-a-half years ago when he decisioned Scott Sigmon over 10 at cruiserweight in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.