Legendary former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson announced that he will return to the ring at age 54 for an exhibition match against fellow American Roy Jones Jr., 51, on September 12 in Los Angeles.
“I AM BACK,” Tyson wrote on his Twitter account along with a video of one of his workouts at the gym.
Tyson, who has been out of the ring for 15 years after a loss to Irishman Kevin McBride, will face Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round match at the Dignity Health Sports Arena in Los Angeles, according to a statement posted on his website. new sports project, «Legends Only League».
Legendary former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson announced Thursday that he will return to the ring at age 54 for an exhibition match against fellow American Roy Jones Jr., 51, on September 12 in Los Angeles.
“I AM BACK,” Tyson wrote on his Twitter account along with a video of one of his workouts at the gym.
Tyson, who has been out of the ring for 15 years after a loss to Irishman Kevin McBride, will face Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round match at the Dignity Health Sports Arena in Los Angeles, according to a statement posted on his website. new sports project, «Legends Only League».
The text says that the fight, which can be followed on pay television, has the approval of the California state athletic commission, but did not specify whether public access or other details of the fight will be allowed.
“It will be incredible,” Tyson said in a video call with ESPN.
The American downplayed the risks of either of the two fighters suffering a serious injury, noting that California state rules will require both to wear helmets for the fight.
“We are both consummate fighters,” he said. We know how to protect ourselves. We will be fine”.
Tyson ended his career with a balance of 50 wins and 6 losses with 44 knockouts, while his rival, who last fought in February 2018, has a record of 66-9 with 47 knockouts.
Jones Jr., was world champion in four categories between 1993 and 2004, first in middleweight and super-middleweight and then in middle-heavyweight until he briefly held the WBA heavyweight belt.
Tyson promised that the match will be competitive and not pure spectacle.
“We are going to show our skills and fight,” said “Iron Mike”, who stressed that he wants to regain the fearsome physical form he exhibited in the past.
“He will be 100% like Mike Tyson in the ring,” he said.
– “We are not finished” –
The fighter from Brooklyn, New York, said he wants to show how older people can still cause excitement in the realm of sports.
“This is because I can do it and I think other people think they can do it,” Tyson said. We are not finished. Someone says that the older people are finished, but they have more fans than the boys who are training now.
This claim is one of the ideas behind «Legends Only League», an event production platform with which it wants to relaunch former stars of various sports. Among them, Tyson mentioned former NBA figures Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years and four months when he beat Trevor Berbick in the second round in 1986 to win the World Boxing Council crown.
Within a year, Tyson was the undisputed champion of the division, earning the nickname “The Baddest Man on the Planet” and reaching a 37-0 record.
But in February 1990, in Tokyo, he suffered a surprising loss by knockout in the 10th round at the hands of James “Buster” Douglas.
Tyson was arrested for the crime of rape in 1991 and convicted in 1992, serving three years in prison before being released in 1995 and returning to the ring.
He managed to regain the title but then fell twice to American Evander Holyfield, and was disqualified the second time for biting his rival’s ear, which cost him a suspension that kept him out of boxing for 18 months.
The boxer had one last chance to reach the heavyweight crown but lost to Britain’s Lennox Lewis in 2002, and retired after six rounds against Kevin McBride in 2005 in his last bout, just days away from his 39th birthday.
“I’ve been through some experiences and now I’m back,” Tyson said. I’ve been taking care of my body.
The text says that the fight, which can be followed on pay television, has the approval of the California state athletic commission, but did not specify whether public access or other details of the fight will be allowed.
“It will be incredible,” Tyson said in a video call with ESPN.
The American downplayed the risks of either of the two fighters suffering a serious injury, noting that California state rules will require both to wear helmets for the fight.
“We are both consummate fighters,” he said. We know how to protect ourselves. We will be fine”.
Tyson ended his career with a balance of 50 wins and 6 losses with 44 knockouts, while his rival, who last fought in February 2018, has a record of 66-9 with 47 knockouts.
Jones Jr., was world champion in four categories between 1993 and 2004, first in middleweight and super-middleweight and then in middle-heavyweight until he briefly held the WBA heavyweight belt.
Tyson promised that the match will be competitive and not pure spectacle.
“We are going to show our skills and fight,” said “Iron Mike”, who stressed that he wants to regain the fearsome physical form he exhibited in the past.
“He will be 100% like Mike Tyson in the ring,” he said.
– “We are not finished” –
The fighter from Brooklyn, New York, said he wants to show how older people can still cause excitement in the realm of sports.
“This is because I can do it and I think other people think they can do it,” Tyson said. We are not finished. Someone says that the older people are finished, but they have more fans than the boys who are training now.
This claim is one of the ideas behind «Legends Only League», an event production platform with which it wants to relaunch former stars of various sports. Among them, Tyson mentioned former NBA figures Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years and four months when he beat Trevor Berbick in the second round in 1986 to win the World Boxing Council crown.
Within a year, Tyson was the undisputed champion of the division, earning the nickname “The Baddest Man on the Planet” and reaching a 37-0 record.
But in February 1990, in Tokyo, he suffered a surprising loss by knockout in the 10th round at the hands of James “Buster” Douglas.
Tyson was arrested for the crime of rape in 1991 and convicted in 1992, serving three years in prison before being released in 1995 and returning to the ring.
He managed to regain the title but then fell twice to American Evander Holyfield, and was disqualified the second time for biting his rival’s ear, which cost him a suspension that kept him out of boxing for 18 months.
The boxer had one last chance to reach the heavyweight crown but lost to Britain’s Lennox Lewis in 2002, and retired after six rounds against Kevin McBride in 2005 in his last bout, just days away from his 39th birthday.
“I’ve been through some experiences and now I’m back,” Tyson said. I’ve been taking care of my body. AFP (HN)