Mike Tyson doesn’t know what to expect in his return to the boxing ring later tonight (Sat., Nov. 28, 2020) live on FITE PPV from inside Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., but the former heavyweight champion is still going to try to take out Roy Jones Jr. in their main event showdown.
Tyson, who hasn’t fought since 2005, will be making an unprecedented return to the spotlight. Jones is just three years younger than the 54-year-old Tyson, but he’s competed as recently as 2018. That’s not even comparable to when Tyson walked away from the sport 15 years ago, which is the reason why fight fans are so excited to see what “Iron Mike” can offer here in 2020.
Tyson hasn’t been in the greatest shape over the years given his lengthy layoff, but the former king of boxing looked pretty darn good for Friday’s weigh ins (see it HERE). Prior to hitting the scales, Tyson detailed his long journey back and what he had to endure to return to fight shape.
“It’s a 100-pound process,” Tyson told reporters on Friday when asked about his physical transformation. “My wife told me, she pretty much asked do the treadmill 15 minutes a day. So that 15 minutes turned into two hours a day. From there I started doing two hours on the treadmill, an hour on the bike. Then I started running. I don’t know where I was. I wanted to hit the mitts. I don’t know why I wanted to hit the mitts and someone said they knew Rafael Cordeiro and he held the mitts for me.
“When I was hitting the mitts, I believe we showed it on Instagram and it got over like 2 billion hits. Before that little 20 second combination, I was in the bed for six weeks, I was all messed up. I got comfortable with the process of punching and moving and then eventually sparring. I’m never calling another fighter a bum again because the process of getting in shape to fight somebody is just psychologically overwhelming if you’re not an experienced fighter.”
Tyson, who hasn’t won a fight since knocking out Clifford Etienne back in 2003, is currently a favorite to defeat Jones later tonight on PPV (although you can’t actually bet on the fight). But considering the bout is an exhibition match and won’t actually have a winner, it’s hard to determine how much punishment Tyson can dish out within the given ruleset.
Regardless, “Iron Mike” is ready to put the gloves on and prove that age is just a number. He’ll be looking to entertain the fans above all else and let everything play out the way it was supposed to.
“Maybe I don’t know how to go easy,” Tyson said. “I don’t know. I don’t want to say the wrong thing cause some people get angry, the boxing commission, so I don’t want to say the wrong thing.
“I’m just going to go right at him as soon as the bell [rings]. We’re just going to see what happens. Listen, from any perspective how they look at it, it’s going to be entertaining. I’m a fighter, he’s a fighter and of course we’re in there throwing punches. During that process, anything can happen.”
Tyson and Jones will wear 12-ounce gloves and compete for eight two-minute rounds. Neither fighter will be required to wear headgear, but the fight will be stopped for any cut of any kind. It’s anyone’s guess what actually transpires when the two boxing greats collide tonight on PPV.
For more on the upcoming Tyson vs. Jones Jr. PPV event click here.