Two boxing legends, Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr, will hold a boxing exhibition on Saturday, November 28, live from Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. At stake in the main event will be something called the WBC Frontline Championship, which is great, because boxing doesn't have nearly enough titles right now. The event will live stream on TysonOnTriller.com and FITE TV for $49.99.
Tyson is 54 and Jones 51. As California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster explained recently to Boxing Scene, the exhibition is an exhibition. Rules include:
•8×3 min rounds;
•12 oz gloves and no headgear; and,
•Referee Ray Corona will make sure the exhibition is an exhibition, not a fight.
With his distinctive Georgia twang, Foster told the pair, “don’t ya’ll start trying to kill each other.”
"I wanted to have their assurances that they understand, ‘I don’t care if they spar. I don’t care if they work.’ They are world- athletes, even still,” said Foster. “They have a right to earn, and all these types of things. They’re about the same age. We can’t mislead the public as to this is some kind of real fight. They can get into it a little bit, but I don’t want people to get hurt. They know the deal.
“It’s an exhibition. They can exhibit their boxing skills, but I don’t want them using their best efforts to hurt each other. They’re going to spar hard, but they shouldn’t be going for a knockout. This isn’t a record-book type of fight. This is not world-championship boxing right now. It’s not what this is. People shouldn’t be getting knocked out. The public can see what kind of shape Roy and Mike are still in.”
“We wanted to make sure that they both understood that it was a sanctioned exhibition fight. They can move around and make some money. We’re glad to have it. All of our rules are going to be followed. It’s going to look like a boxing match. Exhibitions like this happen sometimes. They can move around and make some money. I told them, ‘you get cut, it’s over.’ We’ll be reasonable. Ray won’t let people get hurt. He understands what an exhibition is. It’s not a fight-fight.
“I’m sure there are going to be times where it heats up. Ray’s job is going to be to put the ice back on without having to kill the whole thing. He’s that kind of referee. I feel that he’s going to be good at that, and he’s the right guy for this kind of a fight.”
However, UFC president Dana White, like some members of the public, still believed that the exhibition will be a real bout, and was asked at the UFC 255 post-fight press conference who he thought would win.
“It’s such a tough one to call,” said White. “When’s the last time we saw either one of them fight?"
Then White learned that there would be no knockouts.
“They’re not allowed to knock each other out? How do you enforce that?” he asked. "I’d like to bet that doesn’t happen. Can you bet on that?”
Then White learned that there would be no betting - you can’t bet on it any more than you can bet on a Boneyard Match between The Undertaker vs. AJ >
“You can’t even bet on this fight? I did not know that,” said White. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
And then he learned the bout won’t have a winner, as it will not be scored.
“The hits keep coming,” quipped an amused White.
https://youtu.be/Op0B3dsQlWQ?t=941
Main Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. – (8 round exhibition)
Jake Paul vs. Nate Robinson (6 round cruiserweights bout)
Badou Jack vs. Blake McKernan (8 round light heavyweight bout)
Viddal Riley vs. Rashad Coulter (6 rounds cruiserweight)
Prelim Card
Jamaine Ortiz vs. Nahir Albright (lightweight)
Irvin Gonzalez Jr. vs. Edward Vasquez (featherweight)
Juiseppe Cusumano vs. Nick Jones (heavyweight)
h/t Damon Martin for