Mike Tyson will return to the ring to fight Roy Jones Jr. on September 12.
What We Know:
- Tyson has been posting training footage on social media for months and now the comeback has been made official. Tyson and Jones will fight in an eight-round exhibition match scheduled for September 12. Tyson joined Max Kellerman on ESPN’s First Take to talk about his comeback. “I never took that many punches. After the last fight I had, I left and I lived my life, and I’ve been through some experiences, and now I’m back here. I feel like I took better care of my body and my state of mind than most of the fighters before me that retired and came back,” Tyson said.
- Tyson, 54, is the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, defending his title nine times. With all the success Tyson enjoyed during his career, he also got himself into a lot of trouble. He spent three years in prison for a 1992 rape conviction and lost his boxing license in 1997 for biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a match. Tyson fought his last match in 2005.
- Tyson was adamant that he wanted to fight a legitimate boxer, not a celebrity or crossover athlete. Jones, 51, is exactly that. Like Tyson, he is considered one of the best boxers in history. He became heavyweight champion in 2003 and has a career 66-9 record. Jones last fought in 2018.
- The fight will be sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission. Jones and Tyson will fight without headgear but will use larger gloves. When asked about the risk of fighting at their age, Tyson didn’t seem concerned. “It’s an eight-round exhibition. And, listen, we’ll be alright. Trust me, we can take care of ourselves,” Tyson said.
- The fight will be aired on pay-per-view and multimedia platform Triller. Triller will also produce and air a 10-part documentary series leading up to the fight.
In addition to Tyson and Jones, YouTube star Jake Paul will fight former NBA player Nate Robinson as the undercard.
