Los Angeles (AFP)
Former heavyweight legend Mike Tyson, 54, and Roy Jones Jr, 51, who will return to the ring on November 28 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, reject exhibition qualification for this fight they ensure they are preparing harshly.
The executive director of the California Athletic Commission (CSAC), Andy Foster, recently said that this meeting, played behind closed doors, would not constitute a "real fight".
"I don't know what he means by + not a real fight. + It's Mike Tyson versus Roy Jones Jr. I'm going to come fight and he will come and fight. That's all there is to know." , replied "Iron Mike" at a virtual press conference Thursday.
"The last guy who did a + exhibition + with Mike Tyson got knocked down in the first round. If you don't know that, then something's wrong. Who gets in a ring, facing the big guy, to the legendary Mike Tyson and believes it's + an exhibition +, with 12 ounce gloves (for middleweight generally), without head protection? Ca, an exhibition? Come on, it will be for real, "Jones continued Jr.
According to the rules set by the CSAC, the fight will take place over eight rounds of two minutes each.
Which is not to please the two boxers.
"I'm sure they have their reasons for deciding it, but it's the women who box for two minutes. I suspect the commissioner has more influence than I have," said Tyson.
Jones Jr, former world champion in four weight categories, said he was "very unhappy".
"It's for the women. Why are we going to do two-minute covers? We're two of the best boxers in history to do that? Two minutes doesn't matter to us, neither for him nor for me."
Tyson and Jones Jr will nevertheless fight for the gain of a belt, called "WBC Frontline Battle Belt", specially created for the occasion by the WBC federation, in order to give this confrontation a more "official" look in the eyes of the fans, who will only attend "Pay-per-view".
© 2020 AFP