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'He's back': Mike Tyson gets date and opponent for comeback fight

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·4-min read
Mike Tyson, pictured here in his heyday and at age 54.
Mike Tyson is making his comeback at age 54. Image: Getty/Instagram

The boxing world is doing backflips after Mike Tyson announced a date and opponent for his much-anticipated comeback fight.

The notorious boxer will step back into the ring at the age of 54 and after more than 15 years to face Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout set in September.

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The eight-round match, pitting Tyson against 51-year-old boxing champion Roy Jones Jr, will take place on September 12 starting at 9pm (September 13, 11am AEST).

The fight will be available on pay-per-view outlets as well as on music-video app Triller, which has exclusive streaming rights to a 10-part docuseries featuring behind-the-scenes prefight footage.

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Tyson is the former undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion with a record of 50 wins, six losses, and two no contests.

His most recent official fight was on June 11, 2005, against Irish-born heavyweight Kevin McBride, who defeated Tyson in a TKO.

From 1992-95, Tyson served three years of a six-year term in an Indiana prison after being convicted of rape.

The Tyson-Jones fight is the first event of a series produced under Mike Tyson's new Legends Only League, a sports venture owned by Tyson and Eros Innovations, an investment group affiliated with Eros International.

The three-hour live “Frontline Battle” event, in addition to the main fight, will include what promoters promise will be “significant undercard matches” as well as musical performances.

Jones Jr told sports.ru: “I had no intention of going back and fighting again but, for the sake of Mike Tyson, I agree to make an exception.

“For me, this is an opportunity that I cannot refuse. Of all those who wanted to go into the ring with him, he chose me. And since he did that, how can I say no?”

The veterans will reportedly wear bigger gloves to add more protection, however they will not be wearing headgear.

“They aren’t going to try for KOs,” veteran MMA reporter Kevin Iole said.

Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr, pictured here during their boxing careers.
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Image: Getty

Mike Tyson’s much-anticipated comeback

Tyson launched his boxing career at 20 when he became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title, a record he still holds.

Throughout his career, Tyson held the title of Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion from 1987 to 1990 and was also the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles.

Jones, who started out in 1989, has won numerous championships in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions.

In 2003 Jones won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years and has simultaneously held a record seven belts including WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, NABF, WBF, and IBA light heavyweight championships.

Understandably, boxing fans are frothing over the prospect of watching Tyson and Jones Jr back in the ring.

with AAP