By Kenneth Friedman: Roy Jones Jr is going to be a tremendous underdog when he and ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson go at it on September 12 in their eight-round exhibition match.
The boxing public overwhelming view the 51-year-old Jones (66-9, 47 KOs) as too small, too weak, and too chinny to take on the well-preserved Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). When you’re talking about the 54-year-old Tyson, he someone who’s physical skills appear to be frozen in time.
He still punches with the same speed and power that he did in his 20s, and that’s unbelievable. With the hard life that Tyson has lived, you would think that he would be a shadow of the fighter he once was.
If what we’ve seen in Tyson’s recent video workouts is an accurate picture of what he can do inside the ring, Jones will be lucky if he escapes the first round. Tyson hits too hard, and Jones’ punch resistance evaporated in 2004.
Fans can see Jones and Tyson pay-per-view for $49.99 on September 12. Recently, there was concern that former IBF/WBA/WBC heavyweight champion Tyson and former four-division world champion Jones would dance around and go easy on each other due to it being an exhibition match.
But the recent comments by both fighters suggest that they’re going to give it their all to try and knock each other out.
Mike’s speed & power gives him the edge
“Iron Mike,” said Lionell Thompson to Mayweather Boxing Chanel in picking Tyson to defeat Roy Jones Jr. “I hope you love me for this answer. Mike is Mike. I don’t think that punch is never going anywhere. I love Roy, but Mike is Mike. All Mike has got to do is land just one.”
“Those are two of my favorite fighters when they’re back in their primes, and I think you have to lean slightly towards Tyson because he’s got speed, and that power is still there,” said Youtuber Jeff Mayweather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtuqCG5FeZA
“Roy is more of an athlete as opposed to a scientific boxer. His technical style was a gift that he was so fast on his feet because his defense wasn’t that great. But I still give him a chance because he’s got power too, and if Tyson gets caught walking in, then possibly he can do something.
“Overall, if I would have to bet my money, I would pick Tyson because I know he has the power. And as big as he is, he has some tremendous hand speed,” said Jeff.
“Roy Jones,” said Joel Casamayor. ”
The punching power and speed that Tyson makes it challenging to choose Jones to win because he’s weaker and slower than him. In Jones’ prime, he possessed lightning fast hand speed, but that’s gone now, and so is his reflexes.
Jones’ defense was never good, but he was able to get by with the help of his reaction time. But that’s something that Jones started losing around 2002. Jones is still faster than most fighters from 160 to 175, but he’s not as fast as Tyson. He’s going to need to do something to keep from getting clipped by Tyson early on, and it’s hard to view any strategy working for him.
Tyson the overwhelming favorite
“I think Mike Tyson is going to beat his a**,” said Andres Cortes. “He looks swoll. I don’t know if he’s taking something, but he looks good for his age. And I got Mike Tyson.”
“I know everybody is picking Tyson, but Kevin McBride, we saw how bad he looked years ago,” said Jody Kohn. “But you don’t get better with time. Roy has fought relatively recently.
“I know he’s got a weak chin, and it’s shot. If he gets hit one time, he’s out. I don’t know, man. I think Roy’s been too active recently, and I think he’s been busier. I’m going to go against the grain. I am picking Roy Jones Jr. Probably stupidly, but I think I’m going to be the only one that says it.”
“I got Mike Tyson definitely,” said Mike Lee. “I feel like he’ll be the bigger and stronger guy. Of course, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones won world heavyweight titles, but I feel like Mike Tyson has a little bit more season on him than Roy Jones.”
“I’m kind of sad and kind of happy to see the fight, you know?” said Chris Ben-Tchavtchavade in discussing the Tyson vs. Jones Jr match.
“The thing that’s going to be the most significant difference is Roy Jones’ defense is all athleticism and reaction time, and it’s not the same anymore. Mike Tyson’s speed and power look the same to me, so I’m going to have to go with Mike.
“They already think Mike Tyson’s big power, but his hand speed is ridiculous. So it’s comparable to Roy’s. So I’m going to go with Iron Mike.”
As you can see here, it’s a rare person that picks Jones to win, but he does have a shot. Unlike Tyson, Jones has stayed busy with his career and was fighting on a regular business up until 2018. Tyson hasn’t seen action since his loss to Kevin McBride in 2005.
Being inactive for 15 years means that Tyson’s stamina won’t be what it was back then, and he was already having problems gassing out in his fights.