By Allan Fox: Andre Ward told British promoter Eddie Hearn to “manage his own affairs” after he gave his opinion on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr eight-round exhibition match scheduled for September 12.
Hearn told Boxing Social that the Tyson-Jones fight could turn out to be an “absolute disaster” if the California Commissioner jumps in some point in the fight and warns Jones and Tyson to take it easy on each other because it’s just an exhibition match.
Did Ward fail to understand Hearn’s comment?
Hearn wasn’t predicting that the Tyson-Jones fight would be an “absolute disaster” in terms of pay-per-view buys for the event on September 12. He meant that it would be a disaster if the California Commission steps in and cautions by telling Jones and Tyson to take it easy on each other during the fight.
For paying fans, they won’t like that one bit because many of them believe that Tyson and Jones give it their all on September 12th. If Tyson-Jones only go one-quarter speed, the fans are going to be hopping mad.
The 50+ Tyson and Jones are not supposed to be hurting each other and going for a knockout because this is, after all, an exhibition and not a real fight. As such, Hearn thinks it would be bad for the event for the California Commission to slow down the battle to warn Jones and Tyson that they need to take it easy on one another.
As one would expect, boxing fans will be angry if the Tyson-Jones fight turns out to be just an easy-going match-up where neither guy is putting any effort into trying to hurt one another. Fans are paying $49.99 to watch these two boxing greats go at it, and they’re not going to be happy if the Commission slows down the action to ensure they’re not fighting for real.
Andre Ward takes a pop at Eddie Hearn
“With all due respect to Mr. Hearn, who seems to have a lot to say about everyone else’s business, should manage his own affairs across the pond, and let everyone else do the same.
“His opinion is not the absolute voice on what’s good for boxing. Carry on 👍🏽,” said Ward on Twitter.
Hearn believes that Ward failed to read the article to understand what he was talking about when he said that he felt that the fight between Iron Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr could be an “absolute disaster.”
Eddie Hearn responds to Andre Ward
“Andre Ward had a pop at me for giving my opinion,” said Eddie Hearn to IFL TV. “I mean, he’s not opinionated, is he, Andre Ward? It’s the clickbait. You know my exact words? ‘If the Commissioner steps in and stops the [Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr] fight during the fight, it would be a disaster.’
“Andre Ward, I just went back at him and said, ‘Read the article.’ There’s no way he read that article, no way. What I don’t understand about American people. ‘Keep your nose out of our business.
“You stay over there on your side of the pond.’ Mate, f*** off. What about when you [Ward] wanted to come over and fight in England? Do you know what I mean?
“You tell me I can’t come over to America and stick my nose in and do business. That’s not a free world, is it? My opinion is. All I said about Tyson vs. Jone is, I kind of wish it wasn’t an exhibition and they just went at it hammer and tong. Then at least you knew what you were getting,” said Hearn.
It seems like a big misunderstanding between Ward and Hearn. If Ward realized that Hearn was talking about fans being upset about the California Commission stepping in to stop the fight if Tyson and Jones started to mix it up for real instead of just wasting time.
Fans don’t know what they’re getting
“For the moment, we really don’t know what we’re getting, do we?” said Hearn on the Jones vs. Tyson fight. “An exhibition. After one round, the referee jumps in and says, ‘Guys, it’s a bit rough. Just box and move.’ Interviews during the round. You might end up watching this, going ‘what the f*** is this?’ So what I said was, “They might as well have gone at it.’
“Then someone else had a pop at me because I said that ‘I don’t think it would be ethical for two guys at that age having suffered the defeats they had, especially Roy Jones recently, I don’t think it would be ethical to let them go at it hammer and tong.’
“And then some journalist came at me, ‘Ethical? You did KSI vs. Logan Paul.’ I said, ‘Yes, those were two blokes that didn’t know how to fight that we’re never going to hurt each other.’ This is something where two guys have been knocked out badly, they’re 50+, and it’s dangerous,” said Hearn.
Fans don’t know what they’re getting with the Tyson vs. Jones fight, and that’s the entire problem. Many of them think it’s going to be a real fight in terms of action, and they’re not going to be happy if the Commission stops the effort to slow the fighters down.
The fans should be told ahead of time that it’s just going to be a dancing fight and not any kind of real action between Tyson and Jones. If the fighters and organizers for the event are upfront with the fans, then they’ll be less angry if it turns out to be a joke.