Moments at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, former Heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson was spotted sitting next to fellow living legend Roberto ‘Hands of Stone’ Duran. Both men are in town for this weekend’s heated rematch between Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.
It’s ironic in a sense because at 45 and 41 years of age, both Hopkins and Jones were deemed by many to be well past their best days to be worthy of a Pay-per-view showcase. The bout was mocked by some who felt that their second encounter should have happened roughly ten years ago. Others went even further by criticizing Jones as Hopkins next opponent, given the fact that he was knocked out in just 122 seconds in his fight with Danny Green last December in Australia. Seeing Duran and Tyson in attendance was a sign that no matter how hard the sport can be, at the end fo the day boxing is a tigh-knit community and the pugilists seems to respect one another. It goes without saying that Jones-Hopkins II would have been more meaningful years ago but that hasn’t stopped some key boxing personalities from showing their interest.
During his time as a champion there wasn’t a fighter in the Heavyweight division who was as exciting, compelling, or troubled as Tyson. He became the WBC champion at just 20 years and 4 months of age after defeating Trevor Berbick in the second round. Tyson was also the first man to ever hold the IBF, WBA, and WBC belts simultaneously. Tyson’s world came to a halt in February of 1990 when he lost to 42-1 underdog Buster Douglas in the 10th round in Japan. There had been rumors of Tyson making yet another comeback to the sport but they have been quickly shot down from numerous sources.
Duran is regarded as one of the most fearless and brutal fighters to ever set foot within the squared circle. The Panamanian was chosen by the Ring Magazine and the 5th greatest fighter in the last 80 years. Duran won titles at Lightweight, Welterweight, Jr. Middleweight, and Middleweight during his reign as a pugilist. He retired for good in 2002 at age 50 with a professional record of 103-16 with 70 knockouts.
Jones-Hopkins II takes place tomorrow night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout is available on Pay-per-view with the telecast kicking off at 9 PM/ET.
