Fight fans have waited 15 years for Mike Tyson’s comeback fight but it seems as though they will have to wait a bit longer after reports suggest that the former heavyweight champ’s bout against Roy Jones has been postponed.
A report from The Athletic states that the much-hyped eight-round exhibition between the two ring icons has been delayed from its original September 12 date until November 28.
The reason for the postponement, they say, is to allow for further promotional build-up to entice more lucrative television deals and pay-per-view opportunities in various markets.
Jones Jr. has reportedly approved the date change.
Tyson, 54, hasn’t competed in 15 years since he failed to answer the bell ahead of the seventh round against Irish heavyweight Kevin McBride in 2005.
Prior to that, the New Yorker had established himself as the ‘baddest man on the planet’ – though that reputation waned somewhat in the latter part of his career.
However, Tyson has recently displayed a renewed hunger for competition and has impressed fans with a series of high-octane training videos on social media which appear to show that very little of the ring legend’s trademark speed and power as deserted him over time.
The bout is expected to take place with 12oz gloves and, according to California State Athletic Commission director Andy Foster, the man responsible for overseeing the regulatory affairs of the event, the contest will be little more than a “hard sparring” fight, and he says that neither man should be legitimately seeking a knockout.
The undercard of the event will also feature a series of unusual fights, with YouTube star Jake Paul set to box former NBA star Nate Robinson.
Jones Jr., for his part, is considered by most to be among the most technically gifted pugilists in recent generations. The fighter, now 51, last fought in February 2018 and posted a 12-1 record in the last seven years of his championship-laden career.
