Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr 2020-11-29

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Event
Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr

Date
Sun 29th November 2020 (UTC)
Sat 28th November 2020 (Local)

Timestamp
2020-11-29T02:00:00

Time

02:00:00 UTC

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League
Boxing

Season
2020

Round
45

Status

Location
Staples Center

Video Highlights

Play on YouTube

Description

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. is an upcoming exhibition boxing match contested between former undisputed heavyweight world champion, Mike Tyson, and former four-division world champion, Roy Jones Jr. The bout is scheduled to take place on November 28, 2020, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. The bout will be officially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission.

Background:
A year after retiring, Tyson announced in September 2006 that he would embark on a world tour of exhibition fights, billed as "Mike Tyson's World Tour", in a bid to overcome the debt he was in at the time. The first bout took place on October 20, 2006, at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, against former professional boxer and sparring partner, Corey Sanders (not to be confused with the South African former world heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders), in a four-round bout. With 6,000 fans in attendance, the fight failed to live up to expectations, with the crowd often booing with displeasure. This would be the only exhibition fight of the tour to take place. Tyson first mentioned the idea of returning to exhibition fights in an April 2020 YouTube interview with rapper T.I., saying, "I want to go to the gym and get in shape to be able to box three or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff". He further teased a potential return to the ring in early May 2020, posting two short videos online of himself training via his Instagram account, declaring at the end of the video, "I'm back". He later explained in a Facebook livestream, "Anything's possible. I feel unstoppable now. The gods of war have reawakened me, ignited my ego and want me to go to war again. I feel like I'm again." Jones' last bout of his 29 year career took place on February 8, 2018, defeating Scott Sigmon via unanimous decision at the Bay Center In Pensacola, Florida. Jones announced his retirement after the bout, but left the door open for a return against UFC fighter Anderson Silva, saying, "Dana, I know you're listening. I know Anderson's suspended. But that's the only other fight Roy Jones will return to the ring for. Other than that, chapter's closed." Following his Instagram videos and Facebook livestream, Tyson was contacted by Australian boxing promoter Brian Amatruda with an offer of $1m to face former Australian rules footballer-turned-boxer Barry Hall, former rugby league player-turned-boxer Paul Gallen, or New Zealand's former rugby player-turned-boxer Sonny Bill Williams in an exhibition fight. According to celebrity agent Max Markson, who was acting as the middleman between Amatruda and Tyson's team, Tyson called the offer "an insult to boxing", with Markson saying, "Mike read the story (in the Daily Mail) that he would be fighting a rugby player. He has said he would not do that as it would be an insult to boxing. He says if he does get back into the ring it will be with a real boxer." Other offers came from David Feldman—president of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)—for $20m to fight an opponent of Tyson's choosing, providing that opponent be under contract with the BKFC, and from Peter Czymor—president of Boston Boxing Promotions—for $1.1m to face former opponent Peter McNeeley, who Tyson defeated by disqualification in 1995. Six days after Tyson posted his training videos, Evander Holyfield posted his own video with the caption of: "Are you ready? The moment you've all been waiting for...The Champ is back." In an interview with BoxingScene.com Holyfield expressed his desire to meet Tyson in the ring, saying, "I've already done what I wanted to do in my career, and have been the best that I could be. If it wasn't for charity, I wouldn't fight Tyson, I don't look at it as being a winner in this fight. This is a charity event helping our foundations. The thing is knowing what you're doing it for." After two months of negotiations between Tyson and Holyfield failed to materialize a deal, it was announced on July 23 that Jones had signed a contract to face Tyson, with the exhibition initially scheduled to take place on September 12, at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with professional boxers to appear on the undercard. In August, it was announced the date had been pushed back to November 28, in order to maximize the revenue for the event. At a press conference hosted by Triller on October 29, it was announced that the fight would take place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will be officially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). Both fighters will be required to submit CSAC medical tests for fighters over 40, and the referee will be under specific instructions to stop the match if it goes beyond "the boundaries of a competitive boxing exhibition." The rules for this exhibition fight include eight two-minute rounds as well as 12 oz gloves as opposed to the more traditional 10 oz gloves worn in heavyweight boxing matches.

Main Card:
Heavyweight / Exhibition Fight / Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.
Cruiserweight / Jake Paul vs. Nate Robinson
Light heavyweight / Badou Jack vs. Blake McKernan
Cruiserweight / Hasim Rahman Jr. vs. Rashad Coulter

Preliminary Card:
Lightweight / WBC-USNBC Silver Lightweight Championship / Jamaine Ortiz vs. Nahir Albright
Featherweight / WBC-USNBC Silver Featherweight Championship / Irvin Gonzalez Jr. vs. Edward Vasquez
Heavyweight / WBC-USNBC Silver Heavyweight Championship / Juiseppe Cusumano vs. Nick Jones