Roy Jones Jr. participated in the first-ever boxing match in the metaverse last night (Fri., June 30, 2023) and things did not go well. The former world champion boxer did stop social media influencer and bodybuilder, NDO Champ, via 7th-round TKO, but it was a somewhat controversial ending to a wildly disappointing virtual throwdown.
Jones Jr. has been trying to extend his boxing career at the age of 54 and this was the latest attempt. It was the first-ever boxing match in the metaverse and a big step towards the evolution of how fans watch fights. Unfortunately, the 3-D experience just wasn’t up to par and ended up looking like a video game from the 1990’s. Not to mention the fact that Jones Jr. looked his age and NDO Champ offered nothing that resembled skilled boxing.
That said, it was interesting to watch (like seeing a trainwreck). Not only for the spectacle of seeing a fight in the metaverse and trying to make your brain work to understand it, but also because of the finish. Jones Jr. ended up landing a combination in the seventh round that forced NDO Champ to cover up and the referee to step in. It wasn’t a massive knockout punch or bloody back-and-forth battle, but Jones Jr. ended up getting it done.
Check out the video footage below:
Roy Jones Jr. got a TKO win in the 7th round in the 1st ever boxing fight in the metaverse…and hopefully the last.
#Boxing— Danny (@dantheboxingman) July 1, 2023
WTF DID I JUST BUY??? pic.twitter.com/0zQtBONoxE
— ShowBizzAdult (@BizzAdult) July 1, 2023
On paper, this was supposed to be some sort of ground-breaking experience for boxing fans and tech gurus looking for something to watch Friday night. Instead, it turned into a circus that made fighting in the metaverse look like a massive letdown. Maybe it had something to do with the fight itself, but we’ll let you be the judge on that.
Thoughts?