We have now entered the week of the long-awaited boxing match between Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson. Both fighters have openly talked about the type of fight they want to have, and according to their statements nobody would think that it is an exhibition fight, as it is announced.
However, the fact is that the rules are clear, because the objective is that Jones and Tyson, who are 51 and 54 respectively, do not suffer excessive physical punishment. A few weeks ago, even Tyson, was offended when asked about the nature of this fight. “Isn’t this a real fight?” Tyson questioned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’ve got Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr and I’m going to fight, and I hope he comes to fight.
“Who goes into the ring and thinks about a show?” Jones Jr replied. “The last person who fought like that was eliminated in the first round.” But the fact is that the California State Athletic Commission have set limits, as Executive Director Andy Fosterconfirmed to MMA Fighting and Boxing Scene. “Let’s call it an exhibition,” he said. “That’s what it is. I want the fans to know that this is what it’s all about, because I don’t want them to be disappointed later.”
Fighters will fight without helmets in eight rounds of two minutes each. There will be no official judges, although the World Boxing Council (WBC) has invited several well-known judges to remotely offer their verdict. Therefore, the fight will not officially have a winner. The gloves worn by the fighters will be 12 ounces, instead of the usual 10 ounces in their category. If any of the fighters get a ‘bad cut’, the exhibition is over, although this can happen in any fight.
Both fighters must undergo full medical testing to receive permission to fight, and Tyson and Jones Jr must pass anti-doping tests according to WADA regulations, although as this is not an official event, the fight will not be cancelled if there is a previous positive for marijuana. The referee will be Ray Corona, who must make sure to stop the two fighters “if they get hot”. According to Foster, “no one can be knocked out,” which is something UFC President Dana White is not so sure about.
“You can’t knock them out? I bet this doesn’t happen,” said an astonished White, who understands that the fans have not paid 50 dollars for an exhibition fight. On paper, everything is set up to make this fight very contained. In any case, a knockout can obviously exist whenever one of the fighters throws a punch that is conducive to it before Ray Corona can intervene, although it would go against what was supposedly agreed.