Former world champion Mike Tyson returns to the boxing ring for an exhibition fight at the age of 54. The heavyweight announced that he would face his 51-year-old compatriot Roy Jones Jr. in Los Angeles on September 12.
According to corresponding media reports, the fight is to go over eight rounds and be broadcast on the social media platform Triller. As the US online portal tmz.com reports, musicians such as Pitpull, The Weeknd or Lil Wayne appear before and after the fight. In addition, the two opponents are accompanied by camera teams during their preparation, afterwards a ten-part documentary is to be created from the collected material.
This makes it clear what this fight is of course about: as much attention as possible and high earnings via pay-per-view; less but about boxing top performances.
Tyson’s last professional fight was on June 11, 2005. After a knockout loss to Irishman Kevin McBride, he announced his retirement. The American had already fueled rumors of a return to the ring with numerous training videos in recent weeks, including speculation about a show fight against his eternal rival Evander Holyfield.
Tyson was the first heavyweight to hold the titles of the boxing associations WBA, WBC and IBF. At 20, he had become the youngest heavyweight world champion in history. He won 50 of his 58 professional fights.
Roy Jones Jr. was also considered one of the best boxers of his time. He became world champion in four different weight categories, including heavyweight.
