Former world heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. rolled back the years on Saturday night in a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Tyson, 54, and 51-year-old Jones displayed flashes of their old selves as the eight-round contest (two-minute rounds) went off without a hitch in Los Angeles.
Pre-fight notions that the exhibition may have turned into farce were allayed as both Tyson and Jones didn’t really threaten each other inside the ropes.
Instead, a combination of diminished speed, power, and ability kept them safe from any real damage.
Looking the more determined, Tyson seemed to have the edge for the duration as the pair of legends enjoyed their long-awaited Pay Per View return.
In the end, a draw was declared when Tyson might have done enough to edge it on the scorecards.
No knockouts, knockdowns, or winner was ultimately declared as Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. picked up a commemorative WBC belt for their efforts.
What is expected to become a regular feature makes it hard to tell whether this kind of paid showcase has any future in the sport.
For sheer entertainment purposes, certainly. But mixing it with a portion of professional boxing looks to have been a massive stretch.
Well done to both for their comebacks, though. Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones J Joe Scarnici / Triller MIKE TYSON vs. ROY JONES JR RESULTS
On the undercard, ex-super middleweight world ruler Badou Jack took every round and more from Blake McKernan.
The Light heavyweight bout saw a complete shut-out for Jack, who gave the dogged McKernan a badly swollen face in the end.
Jack moved to 23-3-3. The return of ‘The Ripper’ may be a one-off. Badou Jack Tyson bill Joe Scarnici / Triller
Also on the bill, Worcester, Massachusetts’ Jamaine Ortiz halted Sulaiman Segawa in seven rounds in the first of three vacant WBC USNBC Silver Lightweight title contests.
Ortiz pushed his perfect C.V. to 14-0 with an eighth stoppage.
Edward Vazquez claimed one with a split-decision triumph over Irvin Gonzalez. At the same time, heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano knocked out Greg Corbin for the other.
