When Mike Tyson and Roy Jones climb into the ring this weekend in Los Angeles, spectators may be treated to a different kind of boxing spectacle. Tyson, 54, and Jones, 51, will not be fighting in the conventional professional way, it would seem, at least according to California State Athletic Commission director Andy Foster.
Foster has asserted that there will be no winner declared in the exhibition bout, and the bout will be scored by the WBC purely for entertainment purposes. The judges who will score the fight for the WBC are going to be celebrities who will be carrying out the process remotely rather than from ringside.
“There’s no winner going to be announced,” Foster told MMA Fighting. “I do think that’s very important to get out there. The unofficial scores are for entertainment only and that’s done by the WBC remotely. Not by the commission cause the commission didn’t credential those judges because of COVID. It’s for entertainment purposes only. There’s no official winner at the end of this.”
No cuts or knockouts
Foster also confirmed to MMA Fighting what the rules for the fight are going to be. The bout will When Mike Tyson and Roy Jones climb into the ring this weekend in Los Angeles, spectators may be treated to a different kind of boxing spectacle. Tyson, 54, and Jones, 51, will not be fighting in the conventional professional way, it would seem, at least according to California State Athletic Commission director Andy Foster.take place over eight, two-minute rounds and the boxers will be required to wear protective headgear. The fighters will be wearing 12-ounce gloves and if either suffers a bad cut then the exhibition bout is over.
Tyson and Jones have undergone complete medical tests so that they could be cleared for the bout. Both fighters have also entered VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency) testing before the event. It has also been stated that the boxers would not be allowed to knock each other out.
There has been some confusion this week, however, with fight broadcaster Triller insisting that a knockout would be permitted. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman also stated that his body’s scores would not be used to determine a winner for the contest, but were purely for entertainment.
"Know there have been some false rumours swirling, so to be crystal clear - the WBC is scoring the fight," Triller co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh said. He has also maintained that WBC would be scoring the fight and that their scores would be used to determine a winner – something that was later denied by WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.
Kavanaugh also stated that the result of the fight would not be recorded on the career record of either boxer.
Tyson battling to be in shape
Tyson has stated that he has lost 90lbs for the contest, after working hard to get back in shape after a period where he was drinking to excess and taking cocaine.
“I'm just very grateful that I'm not living the life that I was living before. Allah has blessed for me to be able to do this,” he said, according to British tabloid The Sun.
Given the way that Tyson’s career has included so much drama previously, fans would probably be wise to expect the unexpected when he and Jones clash on the weekend.
