Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr .: Odds, Ages, Records, Prediction

Twenty years ago, a fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. probably would have blown the world’s head. If Tyson, one of the most fearsome heavyweights of all time, took on Jones, an all-time pound-for-pound great, when they were both closest to their prime, there’s no telling what would happen. Could Jones move back up to heavyweight for one of the biggest perceived surprises in history? Or would Tyson crush Jones with one blow? On Saturday, two former greats who are now in their 50s will step into the ring for an exhibition to try to remind us of what they once were. Here’s what you need to know about the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition on Saturday night.

There’s been a lot of confusion surrounding the showdown, which you can view for $ 49.99 on the Triller app or as a PPV at your local cable provider.

The California State Athletic Commission has gone to great lengths to say that this matchup is just an exhibition and that no official winner will be declared. The CSAC has also said that the referee will not allow the fighters to get too hot in the ring and does not want anyone to be knocked out.

The CSAC does not provide official judges for the event, but the WBC sanctioning body, which is giving away a made-up heavyweight title to the unofficial winner, has appointed famous judges for entertainment purposes. Because who would want to spend $ 50 on a fight that has no winner, Triller co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh made this statement to MMA Fighting.

“We never meant to imply that CSAC was scoring this or deciding a winner,” Kavanaugh said. “We are 100% clear that this is not correct. CSAC has provided a referee, and that referee is there to make sure the wrestlers are safe and to make sure they fight according to the rules. It won’t score the fight or decide a winner. Rather, the WBC is committed to scoring and choosing a winner. They have three judges who will judge remotely (due to COVID and as other fights have been provided recently) on behalf of the WBC, and not on behalf of CSAC, who will decide the winner and judge the fight. “

However, the fighters have made it clear that they will fight each other once the bell rings.

“I come to fight and I hope he comes to fight. That’s all you need to know, ”Tyson said during a recent media conference call.

Jones said, “Who walks into the ring with the great and legendary Mike Tyson and thinks, ‘Oh, this is an exhibition?’ Twelve ounce gloves? No hat? Really? Is this an exhibition? Come on brother. Be real.”

Perhaps death is even at stake. “Someone like Mike Tyson hits you. Anything can happen to you,” Jones said. “Mike Tyson is not just an ordinary puncher. He’s one of those guys who can do that to you. … I am not tripping at all because I know death is a possibility. Yes, that can happen to anyone. And I know that even more could happen to me if I go there with someone as dangerous as Mike Tyson. “

But there is also the possibility that this entire production is a debacle. Which could prompt people to buy it anyway. Here’s more information on Mike Tyson’s vs. Roy Jones Jr. showdown for US viewers to watch on Triller or on PPV starting at 9pm ET.

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.

Good luck finding a place to bet on this fight. Most of the online sportsbooks have eliminated their odds from this fight, probably because there has been a lot of confusion about it and because there will be no official winner. But if you like to view the odds and side bets for entertainment purposes, click here to see the breakdown.

When the fight was first announced, Tyson was between a -300 to -350 favorite with Jones between +200 and +140 (Bovada was an outlier and made Jones the -160 favorite and Tyson the +120 underdog. ).

The last odds I saw were Tyson as the -200 favorite, which means you’d have to bet $ 200 on him to win $ 100, and Jones as the +160 underdog (he wins $ 160 on a $ 100 bet).

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.

Tyson, at 54, has not fought since 2005 and lost three of his last four bouts. Overall, his record is 50-6 with 44 KOs. It will be interesting to see if he still has that historic knockout power (or if he can actually land something significant on Jones).

Jones is 51 years old and has been much more active in the ring than Tyson. Jones has fought four times since 2016 and has won them all against low-level competition. That raised his record to 66-9 with 47 KOs. But can Jones, who didn’t have the best chin for the last 10 years of his career, avoid Tyson’s power for eight rounds and use something like the speed and skill of boxing to block Tyson?

Prediction of Mike Tyson against Roy Jones Jr.

I predict this could all be a disaster. But if you want a true prediction, I think Tyson will start fast and try to knock out Jones in the first two rounds. After that, you’ll be out of breath and ready for Jones’ speed (if you dare go into your pocket). Although this fight will not be officially scored, I would say that Jones is victorious in the eyes of the famous judges with a unanimous decision victory. Somewhere in the 77-75 range.

READ MORE:

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Odds: Your Betting Guide for Saturday Night’s PPV Showcase