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Roy Jones Jr. Won't Pull Out of Mike Tyson Fight Amid Rumors of Frustration
August 20, 2020
Former four-division boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. is reportedly moving forward with plans to fight Mike Tyson on Nov. 28 despite frustration with how preparations for the event are being handled.
TMZ Sports reported Thursday there's "some truth to rumors of tension behind the scenes" but Jones has opted against backing out of the agreement. He wants to get "treated like an equal partner" in future decisions after the bout was moved back from Sept. 12, though.
Both fighters are also disappointed the California State Athletic Commission is treating the fight as a lax exhibition rather than a competitive clash, with sources from each side telling TMZ the boxers are going to go full bore once the opening bell rings.
Jones, 51, previously vented his frustration about the fight's date change in an interview with Ryan Parry of the Daily Mail.
"I've had to cancel other stuff to be out here. It's upset my calendar, I've got to change things," he said. "That's why we have to table bulls--t now. That's the biggest issue, I'm not a full-time boxer anymore so I do other things to make an income. If I can't do other things then I should be compensated for that, because it changes the schematics. It's not acceptable."
Jones added he'd back out if the agreement no longer made financial sense.
Meanwhile, Tyson, 54, explained on the Dan Patrick Show (via Alan Dawson of MSN) in early August what fans should expect if they tune in to watch to legends of the past return to the ring.
"We're throwing punches at each other," he said. "This is going to be my definition of fun ... broken eye sockets, broken jaw, broken rib. That's fun to me."
The fight will take place at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. It will be broadcast on Triller with an undercard headlined by former NBA player Nate Robinson taking on YouTuber Jake Paul.