It’s been 15 years since Mike Tyson fought in an official event, but at age 54, he’ll make his in-ring return on Sept. 12 against 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. The fight will take place south of Los Angeles at Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the L.A. Galaxy and temporary housing for the Los Angeles Chargers through 2019.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson has a career record of 50-6 (44 KOs) and claims to be in his best shape in years. He started posting training videos on social media this year and ever since, fans have been buzzing for a match. Enter Jones, with a 66-9 (47 KOs) record, matching Tyson’s enthusiasm and ‘why not?’ attitude, saying, “Life is life, you only live once.”
I. AM. BACK. #legendsonlyleague. September 12th vs @RealRoyJonesJr on #Triller and PPV #frontlinebattle @TysonLeague pic.twitter.com/eksSfdjDzK
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) July 23, 2020
Adding additional entertainment value to what is already sure to be a huge pay-per-view event is the announcement that controversial YouTuber Jake Paul will step into the ring with former NBA journeyman and three-time slam dunk champion Nate Robinson. At 23, Paul measures at approximately 6-foot-1 and in the 185-pound range. Robinson, 13 years older at age 36, was last listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. Paul has slipped on the gloves before against other online celebrities, but for Robinson, this will be his first match in the ring.
It’s Official. Let’s GO! Jake Paul, you better be ready. https://t.co/OIiSrXX6YD
— Nate Robinson (@nate_robinson) July 23, 2020
It’s widely presumed that more undercards (though less high-profile) will be added between now and Sept. 12. In addition to PPV, the night will be broadcast by media company Triller, who also plans to air a 10-segment docuseries leading up to the big event.
The latest odds are moving quickly and still have many degrees of variance, depending on the sportsbook. Most are currently in agreement with Tyson (-300) the favorite over Jones (+200), though there are still several books who have installed Jones as the early favorite.
As the early money pours in, expect extreme fluctuation of those odds in the coming weeks.
