Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson didn’t manage to get the win in his first boxing match since 2005. But it looks like this won’t stop him from entering the ring again.
Tyson faced Roy Jones Jr., the former champion in multiple weight classes, in a highly anticipated exhibition match over the weekend and managed to put up a great performance despite the obvious rust. However, the celebrity panel of judges controversially ruled the fight to be a draw, stopping the Iron Mike from adding to his 50-6 career record.
Speaking after the fight, Tyson was critical of his performance but pledged to do better in another exhibition fight in the future.
“I could’ve done everything better,” said Tyson. “Everything I was doing I could’ve done it better, so God willing, I’ll be better the next exhibition.”
While the fight wasn’t set up as an official boxing match, being limited to eight rounds with each round lasting just two minutes, Tyson and Jones entered the bout with the intention to make a statement. Both fighters threw some hard punches and the audience was occasionally reminded how spectacular the two were in their prime.
It was Mike Tyson who was more set on making blows, as he landed 67 punches compared to Roy Jones’ 37. Tyson was also dominant in “power punches” as he landed 57 of them, including 35 to Jones’ body.
“When he hits you, if it’s his head, his punches, his body shots, it don’t matter. Everything hurts,” said Jones.
As the fight ended without a winner, WBC awarded the specially-created Frontline Battle belt to both fighters. But one of Tyson or Jones might have to return it in the future as each hinted at a possible rematch.
Jones said after the fight that “we just might have to do it again”, while Tyson was more decisive by saying “we’ve got to do this again.”
