It’s been more than 15 years since notorious pugilist Mike Tyson has stepped into a ring for a fight. Now, though, at age 54, he’s doing what the likes of Rocky Balboa only did in film: taking part in an exhibition bout. His opponent, “only” 51 years old, will be Roy Jones Jr. The fight was set for Saturday, September 12, 2020, at 9:00 pm ET, but was postponed to November 28. You can watch the fight on pay per view and on Triller (a music-video app). For a fee, you can watch the fight on Triller as well as a 10-episode docuseries showing footage from behind the scenes leading up to the fight. The episodes will come out, two per week, in the weeks ahead of the fight.
Called the “Frontline Battle”, this fight has generated a lot of buzz in the sports betting community. Take a look at our boxing betting thoughts on the exhibition.
Boxing Betting:
Frontline Battle: The Return of Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson (-170) vs Roy Jones Jr (+140)
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California
Saturday, 28th of November
Why was the Fight postponed?
No, neither Tyson nor Jones had a brush with COVID-19, and neither fighter has suffered an injury in training. Instead, Tyson wanted to push the fight back to a time when fans could come and watch the fight in person, instead of having the bout in front of an empty arena. While the venue has not been firmed up, some sources are indicating that the fight could be moved from its original site, Carson, California, to Cowboys Stadium near Dallas because of looser regulations in Texas with respect to having fans in attendance at sporting events.
Why did the Odds Flip?
When the first odds came out, Jones was the favorite at -135 with Tyson the slight underdog at -105. However, the heavy action poured in on Tyson’s side of the ledger, and the odds switched to show Tyson as the favorite.
Tyson has only been an underdog once in his career, back in 2002 when he offered +175 against Lennox Lewis. The next shortest moneyline was -200 when he had his rematch with Evander Holyfield — the fight that ended when Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear. It has been 17 years since his last win, when he got Clifford Etienne to stand in as a tomato can and knocked him out in the first round.
This is an intriguing matchup for fans of boxing back in the 1980s and 1990s. Tyson was one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, although it was Jones who got the title of Boxer of the Decade in the 1990s. Jones has fought a lot more recently, as well. He fought in 2018, beating Scott Sigmon unanimously on the cards.
There are a lot of question marks with this fight, of course, not least because of Tyson’s lengthy layoff. It’s likely that the exhibition will feature 12-ounce gloves, which makes it less likely that the fighters will be looking to deliver a knockout. Jones should have the speed edge, as he is the smaller of the two fighters and he fought professionally just two years ago.
However, Jones also likes to showboat a bit in the ring, while Tyson has a longstanding reputation as a power puncher. Jones likes to hold his hands low and use lateral movement to set up the angles that will create openings for his hooks. However, Tyson looks to stay in close, not allowing his opponent the sort of movement that makes a big hook possible.
How Competitive will the Fight Be?
This is probably the biggest question facing boxing bettors going into this tilt. Are the fighters going to treat this like a slightly more animated sparring session? Then Jones should pile up the points, because he will use his footwork and speed to land punches and gain points. However, if things start to heat up, and the fighters start to exchange blows, then you have to start leaning toward Tyson, because of the danger he brings when he’s in close. Of course, he hasn’t fought in 15 years — so we’re going on historical trends with him. Either way, for fans of boxing, this will be fun to watch.
Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr | Check the Boxing Odds
Frontline Battle Stats
Boxer |
Mike Tyson |
Roy Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Iron Mike | Captain Hook |
| Hometown | New York City, New York, U.S. | Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| Pre-fight record | 50–6 (44 KOs) | 66–9 (47 KOs) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Style | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Recognition | Former undisputed heavyweight champion | Former IBF middleweight, IBF super middleweight, undisputed light heavyweight, and WBA heavyweight champion |
Lennox “The Lion” Lewis vs “Iron” Mike Tyson
Boxing Betting Odds
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