Tag: Mike Tyson comeback

Mike Tyson opens as significant betting favorite against Roy Jones Jr.

Mike Tyson has opened as a significant betting favorite against Roy Jones Jr. in their Sept. 12 exhibition.

Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. are set to square off in an eight-round exhibition match on Sept. 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.

Although Tyson will be competing inside a boxing ring for the first time since he was stopped by Kevin McBride on June 11, 2005, the former heavyweight champion has opened as a significant favorite over the former four-division champion.

According to BetOnline, the 54-year-old Tyson is a -350 favorite (bet $350 to make a $100 profit) to defeat Jones in the pay-per-view matchup. The fight is billed as an exhibition and both fighters will wear gloves with extra padding. Nevertheless, oddsmakers favor Tyson despite Jones having last fought just two years ago, a unanimous decision victory over Scott Sigmon in a cruiserweight bout.

It has yet to be announced at what weight the bout will be fought, but it is assumed that it will be at heavyweight.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) is renowned as one of the biggest punchers in boxing, but he hasn’t won a fight since a first-round knockout of Clifford Etienne in 2003. He ended his career losing three of his final five fights, all by stoppage, but his latest body transformation and series of training videos have led many to believe that he will have a return to form against Jones.

Jones, 51, has won 12 of his last 13 fights, albeit against largely unknown competition. His lone loss during that span was a fourth-round knockout against Enzo Maccarinelli in December 2015.

Jones was widely recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he was brought down to earth in 2004 when he was knocked out by Antonio Tarver. Jones would lose his next three fights and seven of his next 12 before putting together his latest run of victories.

Both Jones and Tyson have acknowledged this is an exhibition.

George Foreman: Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. ‘beautiful thing’

George Foreman believes that the Sept. 12 exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. is a “beautiful thing” in spite of the risks.

George Foreman believes the exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. is a “beautiful thing” even if there is danger in the pair stepping back into the ring.

Tyson has confirmed he will make a comeback Sept. 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., taking on four-weight world champion Jones in a pay-per-view contest.

The 54-year-old Tyson, who last fought in 2005, has teased the possibility of a return in recent months, posting videos on social media as he worked out in the gym.

Foreman understands better than most why Tyson and Jones have signed up for the showdown. At age 45, he became the oldest heavyweight champion when he famously stopped Michael Moorer.

“There’s a time when you’ve got to worry about your health, but it’s a beautiful thing that they would even come out [and fight],” Foreman told TMZ Sports. “Perhaps they can name a charity to be the recipient of the funds. I think it’s good to come out, but it’s got to be a fun thing.”

Foreman believes it would have been impossible to change Tyson’s mind once it was made up in spite of the risks.

“Boxing is nothing to play with. I would tell them that it’s really dangerous,” he said. “But when you make up your mind to do something like that, you can’t tell them not to do it. They’re not going to hear that.

“Even me, a big fool like me, back in the day, I only saw what I wanted to see.”

Mike Tyson to face Roy Jones Jr. in comeback fight on Sept. 12

Mike Tyson will face Roy Jones Jr. on Sept. 12 in an eight-round exhibition, called “Frontline Battle,” on pay-per-view.

Mike Tyson’s comeback fight is set. And his opponent is familiar.

Tyson will face Roy Jones Jr. on Sept. 12 in an eight-round exhibition, which has been dubbed “Frontline Battle,” on pay-per-view, according to multiple reports. It will also be available on the social media outlet Triller.

The “fight” could take place in California but that reportedly hasn’t been finalized.

Tyson-Jones will be the main event of a full card, and the event will include live musical performances, according to TMZ.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) hasn’t fought since 2005 but the 54-year-old has become a public fitness fanatic. He has teased his comeback for months by posting videos of himself training as if he were in his prime.

Evander Holyfield followed his lead, announcing that he too intended to fight again and suggested he might face his old rival. However, Tyson went an unexpected direction.

Jones (66-9, 47 KOs) is a former heavyweight titleholder but is known primarily as one of the best ever from middleweight to light heavyweight. The 51-year-old took part in a cruiserweight fight as recently as February 2018.

Jones outpointed John Ruiz to win a heavyweight title in 2003.

TMZ is also reporting that Triller, which is backed by the likes of Snoop, Lil Wayne, Future, The Weekend, Pitbull and Marshmello, also has the rights to a 10-part documentary series that will follow the fighters as they prepare for their showdown.

Triller, a growing platform, once focused on music but obviously is expanding into other branches of entertainment.

Mike Tyson posts another eye-popping workout video

Mike Tyson posted another video on Instagram that makes him look like a hungry, 20-something up-and-comer, not a 53-year-old retiree.

Mike Tyson hasn’t revealed when or against whom he might begin his expected comeback but, evidently, he continues to work hard.

The 53-year-old former heavyweight champ posted another video on Instagram that makes him look like a hungry, 20-something up-and-comer, not a middle-aged retiree.

“Training smarter every day,” he said on the post.

Tyson has said he wants to take part in boxing exhibitions to benefit charity but hasn’t provided specifics. Everyone from old rival Evander Holyfield to mixed martial artists are potential opponents.

Also, Jamie Foxx confirmed that a biopic on Tyson — starring Foxx — is in the works.

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Training smarter every day. @smartcups SmartCups.com

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Mike Tyson: ‘Jon Jones gotta fight me if he wants … super money’

Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and UFC star Jon Jones have exchanged messages on social media about fighting one another.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on DAZN.com.

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Jon Jones is currently in a feud with the UFC over fighter pay and has gone as far as to suggest that he’ll relinquish his UFC light heavyweight title if the MMA promotional company doesn’t pay him what he feels he deserves.

The UFC is seemingly unwilling to pay Jones for a heavyweight showdown with Francis Ngannou but perhaps there’s another heavyweight in combat sports who could face arguably the best mixed martial artist of all time.

And that person is Mike Tyson.

The 53-year-old former heavyweight champion has been teasing a return to boxing with training videos over the past few months. Tyson took to Instagram Live to explain that if Jones wants real money, he’ll have to step into the ring with him.

“A UFC [fighter] will never be richer than a first class [boxer],” Tyson said. “To make a hundred million dollars, Conor [McGregor] had to fight Floyd [Mayweather]! Even if he fights Jon Jones, he’s not going to get that. Jon Jones gotta fight me to make some super money.”

After hearing Tyson, Jones responded with, “I’m listening.”

Jones then followed that with an Instagram post laying down the terms of a potential fight.

“I’ll box you in the ring if you promise to give me a real fight in the octagon afterwards,” Jones said. “And because I respect you so much, I promise I won’t break anything on you.”

While this all sounds good in theory, the likelihood of a Jon Jones and Mike Tyson fight is slim to none. But that’s also what was said about Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather and it ended up being one of the richest fights on combat sports history. You can never say never if the money is right.

Mike Tyson legend started at not-so-tender age of 13

Mike Tyson was only 13 and fighting for the first time when his punching power first raised eyebrows.

Mike Tyson was 13 years old – going on 19 – when he fought in a ring for the first time.

The troubled kid from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, who was no stranger to street fights, ended up in the custody of trainer Cus D’Amato as a teenager. His assistants were Teddy Atlas and Kevin Rooney.

Tyson learned the basics of boxing and then was deemed ready for his first amateur fight. The problem was that he weighed as much as 200 pounds at 13. Who was  he going to fight?

Atlas told the story on his “The Fight” podast.

“I take him down to the Bronx smokers when the time came for him to finally be ready to fight,” Atlas said. “When I finally thought he was ready to fight I’ve gotta pick the opponent. By this time he was probably up to 195, 200 pounds. He was 13 years old, I think. How am I gonna find a heavyweight [his age to fight him]?

“I had to put him in with a 17-year-old. Everybody would lie and try to get an edge in these places. [An official] said, ‘OK, Teddy, put down his age.’ So I put down 13. And [he] said, ‘Teddy, come on, now you’re going too far.’ I said, ‘OK, you want me to make you happy? I’ll put down that he’s 18.’”

Atlas went on: “So I put him in this ‘exhibition’, it was called an exhibition, bigger gloves, bigger headgear. We agreed, ‘OK, we’re gonna box and we’re not trying to kill each other.’ But I knew I had to look out for Mike. I knew this other guy was older, I knew this other guy would not keep his word.

“So I just said, ‘Mike, be alert, see what he does.’ … The other guy’s looking to knock him out. So, within a minute, Mike made him miss and it’s over. He knocks this 17-year-old kid out. … Bang, bang, bang, hitting him with combinations, three-punch combinations.

“All of a sudden he pins him on the ropes. He hurts the guy, the guy goes against the ropes. Then he comes in, bang, he hits him with a left hook. The guy’s head goes like this (twists backward), his body goes like this (limp) and he falls outside the ring.”

“I mean, you talk about Hollywood. His mouthpiece goes flying, probably about 20 feet back and winds up in somebody’s lap. The legend of Mike Tyson was starting. But there was a problem right away, because now his trainer jumped in the ring to go after Mike.

“I went immediately after him. I was his father, big brother, whatever you wanna call it. Even though Cus D’Amato is the patriach of the whole thing, I was the guy there with him. I jump in the ring and go right after the trainer and we’ve got each other by the throat.

“He’s going right after Mike so I go right after him and I intercede. We got each other and I tell him, ‘I’ll freaking break your jaw.’ I push him off and he backs up. Mike says, ‘What’s gonna happen?’ He was still a kid. I said, ‘Nothing. Nothing’s gonna happen to you.’”

Seven years later, Tyson was heavyweight champion of the world.

Special feature: 10 victories that helped define Mike Tyson

These 10 fights helped shape Mike Tyson into the legend he is today.

Mike Tyson has attracted a lot of attention the past few weeks because of his plan to take part in exhibitions at 53.

Of course, one reason people today remain fascinated with Iron Mike is that he was once a legitimately great boxer. How great? Well, he was the youngest ever to win the heavyweight title, at 20, and had two reigns as heavyweight champion.

He beat a lot of good fighters along the way, most of them by knockout. Here are 10 of the fights that helped define him.

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MARVIS FRAZIER

Date / site: July 26, 1986 / Civic Center, Glen Falls, N.Y.
Division: Heavyweight
Records: Tyson 24-0, Frazier 16-1
At stake: Nothing
Result: Tyson KO 1
Background: The limited Frazier was never destined to give Tyson significant resistance but he had a big name and a legend in his corner, dad Joe Frazier, which added intrigue to the matchup. And Frazier actually had some decent victories on his ledger, over James Tillis and Bonecrusher Smith, for example. There seemed to be some hope. Then the opening bell rang. Tyson landed a right uppercut seconds into the fight, followed by another uppercut and then a right and a left that left Frazier slumped in a corner. Referee Joe Cortez started his count but, after taking a good look at the motionless fighter, he waved off the fight. The end came after 30 seconds of action, the quickest knockout of Tyson’s career and one of the best examples of the destructive power that so captivated  the world.  “I’m confident I can beat any fighter in the world,” he said immediately after the knockout. He was right.

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Mike Tyson making a comeback at 53? Well, sort of

Mike Tyson, on a health kick of late, said he wants to take part in exhibitions to benefit charities.

Mike Tyson is on a health kick. And it could lead him back into the ring.

No, Iron Mike isn’t making a comeback at 53 years old. He is considering some exhibitions for charity, however.

“I’ve been hitting the mitts for the last week,” Tyson said on Instagram Live. “That’s been tough. My body is really jacked up and really sore from hitting the mitts. I’ve been working out, I’ve been trying to get in the ring.

“I think I’m going to box some exhibitions and get in shape. I want to go to the gym and get in shape to be able to box three- or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff.

“Some charity exhibitions, make some money, help some homeless and drug-affected motherf—–s like me.”

A video of Tyson shadow boxing with his dog makes it clear that he remains spry.

Tyson said he’s feeling good.

“I do two hours on cardio,” he continued. “I do the bike and the treadmill for an hour, then I do some light weights, 300, 250 reps. Then I start my day with the boxing thing. I go in there and hit the mitts, 30 minutes, 25 minutes, start getting in better condition.”

“… I’m starting to put those combinations together. I’m in pain. I feel like three guys kicked the s— out of me.’