Tyson returns to ring at 54, fights Jones Jr to draw
PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS MILD PROFANITY IN SHOT 5
SHOWS:
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 28, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. EXTERIOR STAPLES CENTER - SITE OF MIKE TYSON V ROY JONES JR BOXING MATCH WITH NO FANS IN ATTENDANCE
2. MIKE TYSON SPEAKING AT POST FIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER DRAW WITH ROY JONES JR
3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) MIKE TYSON AFTER BEING ASKED IF HE'S HAPPY WITH HIS PERFORMANCE, SAYING:
"Well I don't know, I just, I'm happy I'm not knocked out or anything so...I'll say I'll be better in the next one."
4. WHITE FLASH
5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE TYSON AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT PREPARATION FOR FIGHT, SAYING:
"It's my mentality, but my trainers and my sparring partners kicked my ass so bad, and I'll never call a fighter a bum again. I took my youth for granted, and then this actual event made me find out what I really was made of 'cause they really beat me to death."
6. WHITE FLASH
7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE TYSON AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT THE FIGHT, SAYING:
"I was just happy to be in there with him and just go the eight rounds, that didn't need nothing to me, the scorecard didn't mean nothing to me, the lack of fans didn't make anything of it, I was just happy to go the distance 'cause I was used to doing it in three minute rounds so I said why not just go the distance, anyone knowS I can knock somebody out, that's what I did, I just, I think going the distance is, that's real fighting. Having endurance...and going the distance, 'cause you're not gonna knock everybody out...I've learnt that, in my early experience."
8. TYSON AND HIS WIFE LAKIHA SPICER AT NEWS CONFERENCE
9. ROY JONES, JR SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER DRAW WITH TYSON
10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROY JONES JR AFTER BEING ASKED IF THE FIGHT WAS HARDER THAN HE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE, SAYING:
"Hell yeah. He hit harder, everything hurts, his hands hurt, his head hurts, everything hurts when it makes contact with him so I was like wow...and it makes you so fatigued trying to deal with him 'cause on the inside you gotta keep his arms locked up, I learned that from watching Lennox Lewis and (Evander) Holyfield fight him, you gotta lock his arms up or he'll hit you with some uppercuts. So I was trying to keep his arms locked up everytime I let him go, what you think, I'm gonna let him go so he can kill me? No bro, it's not gonna happen like that so."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 28, 2020) (USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES - MUST COURTESY 'USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES') (MUTE)
11. STILL PHOTO OF ROY JONES JR AND MIKE TYSON WITH TITLE BELTS AFTER THEIR MATCH ENDED IN DRAW
12. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOS OF TYSON AND JONES JR EXHIBITION MATCH
13. STILL PHOTO OF TYSON BEING INTERVIEWED IN RING AFTER MATCH ENDED IN DRAW
14. WIDE STILL PHOTO OF RING WITH NO FANS IN ATTENDANCE AT STAPLES CENTER
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 28, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
15. YOUTUBER JAKE PAUL SPEAKING AT POST FIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE
16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) YOUTUBER JAKE PAUL AFTER BEING ASKED WHO HE WANTS TO FIGHT, SAYING:
"Yeah I think Conor (McGregor) and I will happen for sure. You know people laugh at that but like what other fighter is calling him out with this big of a platform. I'm trending all 12 trends on Twitter right now, you know, my call out to him has like over 10 million views so, and it's been an hour, so, you know, what other fighter is calling out McGregor like this."
17. WHITE FLASH
18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BOXER JAKE PAUL AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT TYSON-JONES JR FIGHT, SAYING:
"I thought it was dope, you know. I'm a little upset that they made it a draw but they gave it their all and they both looked good, Mike came out swinging. Mike won, let's give Mike the W, I want to see Mike Tyson versus Evander Holyfield, put me on the undercard. I'm biting someone's ear off!"
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 28, 2020) (USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES - MUST COURTESY 'USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES') (MUTE)
19. STILL PHOTO OF YOUTUBER JAKE PAUL AND FORMER NBA PLAYER NATE ROBINSON CRUISERWEIGHT BOXING MATCH
20. STILL PHOTO OF ROBINSON ON FLOOR AFTER BEING KNOCKED OUT COLD BY PAUL
21. STILL PHOTO OF PAUL AFTER WINNING MATCH
STORY: Mike Tyson showed age has not robbed him of his power as the former heavyweight champion, in his long-awaited return to the ring, dominated Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition fight on Saturday (November 28) in Los Angeles that was surprisingly ruled a draw.
While there were no ringside judges to score the eight-round contest between two of boxing's all-time greats, both over 50, and no official winner, the World Boxing Council formed a set of judges that remotely scored the bout.
Tyson, 15 years removed from his ignominious defeat to Irishman Kevin McBride in the last professional fight of his career, came out firing and was in control of the bout the entire way.
Jones Jr, 51, was the more visibly fatigued of the two fighters but managed to pick up the pace in the later rounds enough to earn the win on one scorecard and a draw on the other while Tyson took the third scorecard.
When the final bell rang, the two fighters shared a hug.
The two boxers were introduced by legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer, who delivered his famous "Let's Get Ready To Rumble" inside the Staples Centre which was void of fans given the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Production: David Grip)
