Tyson vs Jones: Bookmakers Predict the Winner of the Boxing Stars’ Bout
On the night of 29 November, Los Angeles will host a fight show offering a genuine sporting fantasy spectacle—or at least an exciting journey back in time. Namely, this Saturday will see the globally discussed exhibition bout between legendary boxing veterans Mike Tyson and Roy Jones. “Betsafe” bookmakers’ predictions indicate that Mike Tyson is the favorite in this eight-round bout, and although no official winner will be announced this time, the fight could also end in a draw.
Mike Tyson ended his professional career in 2005 after suffering two consecutive defeats to boxers who could not then be considered elite-level competitors. For example, after beating Tyson, Irishman Kevin McBride fought eight more bouts, losing six of them. Tyson himself subsequently tried to pay off his debts by taking part in several exhibition bouts, but they failed to attract much public interest back in 2006. Since the end of his sporting career, he has left behind his controversial reputation as a boxer; moreover, even at the age of 54, Tyson continues to demonstrate exceptional speed and power.
His opponent will be 51-year-old Roy Jones—the only fighter in boxing history to have begun his career in a weight class below 70 kg and gone on to become a world heavyweight champion. Jones has been a world champion in four different weight classes and is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Jones also fought in Riga, visiting the city in 2014 and defeating Courtney Fry.
Although the two boxing veterans are of a similar age, Jones’s advantage over Tyson is the fact that he remained in professional boxing much longer. While this will be Tyson’s first fight in 14 years, Jones fought 15 more bouts between 2011 and 2018, achieving fairly good results. Jones had his last fight just two years ago, saying at the time that the only fighter who could persuade him to resume his career was MMA legend Anderson Silva. However, it is no secret that promises and bold declarations are quite common in boxing, with fighters often making them to secure publicity in the media.
“Bookmakers’ predictions indicate that Tyson is the favorite for the upcoming fight—his chances of winning are assessed at 66%, while Jones’s stand at just 36%. Of course, it is difficult to imagine Tyson’s great comeback beginning with a defeat, and from a business perspective, Jones conceding would also make much more sense. However, although draws are recorded rarely in boxing, in an exhibition bout arranged primarily as a show, where the result means nothing to either fighter, a draw is by no means an unimaginable scenario over the full eight rounds. Tyson’s fights rarely lasted the distance during the prime of his career, but this time a slower, more cautious and no longer quite as technical contest is to be expected,” comments Valters Rozmanis, a “Betsafe” predictions expert.
The upcoming fight will take place at the “Staples Center” arena without spectators in attendance, but its live broadcast will be available worldwide, including in Latvia. Formally, it has been announced as an exhibition bout rather than a professional boxing match, so neither Tyson (50-6) nor Jones (66-9) will add it to their career records. The contest will be overseen by the California State Athletic Commission, which, given the status of both veteran boxers, has also introduced special rules. The match will consist of eight rounds, each lasting two minutes instead of the customary three, and the commission has also stated that the boxers will be required to demonstrate their fighting skills rather than merely knock out their opponent.
