Legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr has threatened to pull out of his upcoming clash with Mike Tyson after the fight was delayed. Originally pencilled in for a September 12 Pay-Per-View slot, the date has since been pushed back to November 28. Jones Jr has suggested that he will not participate in the eight-round exhibition which has been reportedly delayed to give the marketing more time to push the event.
Jones has been irked by the potential loss of earning in other areas of his post-ring career and claims that he does not wish to be messed around. Others have suggested that Roy is not in the best of physical condition anyway. Highly-respected American journalist Brin-Jonathan Butler has spent many hours in Roy’s company over the years and he is not convinced that Jones Jr’s knees are up to the task of another strenuous eight-round contest.
While many seasoned boxing observers have criticised the idea of these two ring legends donning the gloves again, albeit in an exhibition format, the battle has already garnered significant worldwide interest.
During his career heyday, down at super-middleweight and light-heavyweight, Roy Jones Jr was a pound-for-pound star of the highest order. In 2003 the man from Pensacola, Florida stepped up to heavyweight to defeat John Ruiz over 12 rounds. If Roy had retired there and then his status would’ve been secured as not only the figurehead of a generation but as one of the greatest fighters ever to have laced up the gloves.
Mike Tyson, meanwhile, remains one of boxing’s most iconic names and a recognised superstar of international sport and beyond. Despite the fact that Tyson has not laced the gloves up professionally since a feeble 2005 defeat to Kevin McBride, interest for his return remains sky high. Brief clips of Tyson pounding the pads with all the ferocity of his peak years have excited the fan base.
Indeed, fledgling app Triller have jumped all over this event and are actively promoting the Pay-Per-View as well as Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League. The very existence of such a “league” suggests that future matchups might be afoot. Perhaps the winner will mix with the likes of Evander Holyfield or even Riddick Bowe. Given the physical and verbal condition of the latter, it would represent a frightening prospect that would have to be closely monitored.
Members of the Triller hierarchy are salivating at the prospect of these old-timers sharing a ring. Triller head honcho Ryan Kavanaugh is expecting fireworks. For him, the best-case scenario would be a thrilling Tyson knockout win. If the bout is an exhibition then why are judges needed? It is difficult to expect two proud ring warriors not to get down and dirty at some point in the contest. That is when the spectacle, and its conclusion, could indeed get ugly.
