Tyson vs. Jones Jr.: Fight Time, Online Odds and Projected Winner

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., two legends of boxing, are stepping back into the ring for an exhibition showdown from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday night. 

After teasing a return in April, Tyson appears to have been training hard leading up to his first match since a 2006 exhibition bout against Corey Sanders. The former world heavyweight champion hasn't won a fight since knocking out Clifford Etienne in February 2003. 

Jones is returning to the sport nearly three years after his final fight. The 51-year-old most recently defeated Scott Sigmon by unanimous decision in February 2018 to win the WBU cruiserweight title. 

Tyson vs. Jones Fight Details

Date: Saturday, Nov. 28

Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Pay-per-view, FITE, Triller

Odds: Tyson -235 (bet $100 to win $42.55); Jones +175 (bet $100 to win $175) 

Odds via DraftKings.

Prediction

Tyson is the heavy favorite for a reason, not least of which is how seriously he looks to be taking this return. 

Iron Mike has said he's hoping to use Saturday's fight as a springboard to more matches. 

"I don't know. I might do this for a while. Let's check this stuff out," he told ESPN's Peter Rosenberg (h/t ESPN's Eric Woodyard). "It would be so awesome if we could do this all around the world and fight the best fighter in that country, exhibitions with this guy in that country, exhibitions all over the world. Wouldn't that be great?"

As much as Tyson's name is still an attraction for audiences, at some point the 54-year-old has to prove he can still go. No one is expecting him to compete for a championship, so there's less pressure to dominate by knocking opponents out in the first 60 seconds. 

Jones seems to be taking a different approach to this showdown. He's speaking about it like this is the chance to put a cap on a career that includes being the undisputed light heavyweight champion and winning an Olympic silver medal in 1988. 

Here's what Jones told Woodyard about the opportunity to fight Tyson: 

"I've always wanted to see how I would fare with Mike. How his punches would look coming at me. Could I avoid them? How long could I avoid them? Could he avoid mine? Could he take mine? There was a lot of questions always, so of course, if you get an opportunity to answer them, you want to answer those questions. They gave me the opportunity, so guess what? I've got to answer these questions now."

Even though there's no indication that Jones will officially retire—or if a retirement would even stick—there's something fitting about him being able to walk away after finally getting his match with Tyson. 

Another reason why Tyson should leave Los Angeles with a victory is size. Jones has fought at heavyweight in his career, but it's not his typical weight class. He has been competing at cruiserweight since 2011. 

Tyson figures to have the power advantage and is capable of scoring a knockout in the blink of an eye. As long as he doesn't wear himself out in the early rounds, this should be a triumphant return to the sport for the Baddest Man on the Planet. 

Prediction: Tyson wins via second-round TKO.

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