Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr - Fight Preview

A pandemic, Donald Trump losing a presidential election, Aston Villa beating Liverpool 7-2. If 2020 hasn't been weird enough then it's about to get a whole lot weirder as former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson takes on former four-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout in California.

Tyson hasn't fought in over 15 years with three of his last four bouts as a professional coming by stoppage losses at the hands of Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. To say Tyson was past it then would be an understatement, so you have to wonder what he'd be like now 15 years on.

Jones, meanwhile, has had a prolonged career with his last fight coming just two years ago and he goes into the fight with Tyson off 12 victories from his last 13 bouts, with his most recent loss coming at the hands of Welshman, Enzo Maccarinelli, back in 2015.

The more you think about this fight the weirder you find it. These two are two of the greatest boxers to ever walk the earth, and Tyson is now stepping into the ring 34 years after becoming the youngest heavyweight champion of all-time at the age of 54, whilst Jones hasn't really stopped since making his debut in 1989, bar a two-year break since fighting Scott Sigmon in early 2018.

It is all a bit weird but at the end of the day, it's unlikely to ruin either of their legacies as ultimately is basically a charity fight so may the best man win. Here we take a look at a Tyson v Jones preview and all the Tyson v Jones odds.

The fight is set to be eight two minute rounds with no knockouts allowed as the bout is being classed as 'heavy sparring', with knockouts deemed too dangerous. That alone straight away plays into the favour of the Jones Jr. of yesteryear, and the complete opposite of what Tyson will be both seeking and likely have been training for.

In their prime, both fighters were easy on the eye for different reasons. Jones Jr. was the slicker of the two and lighter on his feet, as his body looked boneless the way he'd move around the ring, transitioning his feet from the outside to the inside in what seemed to be an effortless single movement. He'd let his hands go at a ferocious speed and then before you knew it, he'd have danced around his opponent and be back on the foot behind his jab and low guard.

Tyson, on the other hand, was the polar opposite and was famous back in the 80s and 90s for demolishing every single man put in front of him. The American was heavy on his feet and certainly extremely heavy-handed. Tyson would hold his hands in a high guard and whip punches in with every one of those punches looking like it was thrown with the intent to break his opponent in half and often, it did.

Both had their troubles, however, and towards the end of their prime, they were both exposed in numerous stoppage defeats. When you're past your sell-by date, it's time to get taken off the shelf, but neither of these two really got that memo, especially as Tyson missed a chunk of his career through prison time in the 90s.

Now both clearly well out of their prime but seemingly with unfinished business, they take to the ring for more than likely the final time.

With the no knockout rule in place, this basically takes away Tyson's whole game plan. He never went out to box peoples heads off, he went out to takes the head off the shoulders. On the other hand, Jones Jr. is the far more technical and patient of the two.

This could well turn out to be a Jones Jr. masterclass, but what people need to remember is that this fight is an exhibition fight and how do most exhibition fights end? In a draw.

At 10/1 with the bookies, those odds are just too good to look past.

Prediction: Fight to end in a draw - Best priced 10/1 @ SkyBet