Tyson, 54,
will fight 51 year-old Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition match on
Sept. 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Former
heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is returning to the boxing ring in
September.
Jones Jr was
one of the most dominant fighters of the 90s and early 2000s.
He was a
former world titleholder in four different weight classes.
While Tyson
hasn’t fought since 2005, Jones Jr. boxed in 2018.
According to
Yahoo Sports columnist Kevin Iole, Tyson has reserved the facility for that
date.
Iole quoted a
California State Athletic Commission official who said that he’d recently met
with Tyson and Jones about the specifics of the bout—which will be fought
without headgear, but with larger-than-normal 12-ounce gloves.
Triller, the
virtual social media and music platform, which will stream the fight said the
eight-round bout will be part of a three-hour pay per view event.
Triller has
also obtained streaming rights to a 10-part docuseries featuring
behind-the-scenes, pre-fight footage leading up to the bout.
The program
will also include a “significant” undercard as well as musical performances.
Tyson teased
fans about a possible return to the ring in May when he posted videos of
himself training.
One video
showed Tyson, the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles,
hitting the pads with ferocious power before signing off with the message “I’m
back”.
Tyson later
said he was interested in returning to the ring to raise money for charity and
potential opponents immediately began to line up for a crack at the fighter
known as “Iron Mike”.
Old rival
Evander Holyfield and New Zealand rugby great Sonny Bill Williams were among
those reported to be in line for the fight before Jones Jr. was chosen.
Tyson became
the youngest heavyweight champion of all time when he defeated Trevor Berbick
in 1986 aged 20.
He won 50 of
his 58 professional fights before retiring in 2005 after a loss to Kevin
McBride.
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