Fansided

Pros react to disappointing draw of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.

By Thomas Albano

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. (Photo via Triller)
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. (Photo via Triller) /
facebooktwitterreddit

See how pros reacted to the exhibition battle of boxing legends.

The combat sports community was unsure of what to expect with the battle of two 50+-year old boxing icons in Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. But if one thing’s for certain, the draw result was laughable, but arguably appropriate for this kind of fight taking place in 2020.

The fight was a special exhibition contest competed under specified rules as approved by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). The bout was given a maximum of eight rounds at two minutes each, with both fighters wearing 12-ounce gloves. A cut would immediately have brought an end to the fight.

Had the fight gone to the judges, the CSAC would not score the bout. It would instead go to a panel of three boxing icons — Christy Martin, Vinny Pazienza, and Chad Dawson — to name the winner.

Professional fighters react to the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones exhibition

This was the first time that Tyson, the legendary former undisputed heavyweight champion, competed in a boxing ring since a loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005. Jones Jr., the former light heavyweight champion, last fought in February 2018 in a decision win over Scott Sigmon.

Tyson came out quite speedy in the first round, with Jones looking to stop Tyson by clinching him up and doing some boxing on the inside. Then…that pretty much became the rest of the fight.

Both certainly looked better than anticipated, though not as much as they would in their prime, obviously. A lot of clinching, a lot of inside shots, and a lot of laughter from the commentary for the fight — especially from Snoop Dogg and Israel Adesanya — surrounded the exhibition.

Ultimately, while scores weren’t announced, the bout was ruled a draw by the former WBC champions.

See how Twitter reacted to the exhibition battle of boxing legends.

Following the fight, Tyson and Jones Jr. joked about the bout with Jim Gray, complimenting and thanking one another, as well as the sponsors and producers of the event. Both men stated they were okay with a draw.

Next. Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. live results and highlights. dark

Follow along with FanSided for all your news and highlights.

Home/Boxing