The former undisputed heavyweight champion has been teasing his return to the sport for the past few months.
Mike Tyson has announced plans to come out of a 15-year retirement to take on former boxing champ Roy Jones Jr.
Tyson, 54, and Jones Jr., 51, will face off in an exhibition bout on Sept. 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The event will be broadcast on pay-per-view as well as multimedia platform Triller, ESPN reports.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion has been teasing his return to the sport for the past few months. Tyson (50-6) last fought 15 years ago, while Jones Jr.’s last fight was in 2018.
News of Tyron’s return to the ring comes a day after he-announced his “Legends Only League,” which will support older athletes who want to return to their sports.
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“It’s always been a dream of mine to create, build, and honor athletes,” Tyson said in a statement. “All athletes live to follow their dreams and fight for excellence. It’s something that is inherent in each of us and that drive never goes away. Legends Only League will support athletes in their individual sports, creating some of the most epic competitions, products and live events in the world.”
To highlight just how dedicated he is to making his boxing return happen, Tyson has been posting short clips of himself training extensively.
During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Thursday, he noted that he’s at a point in life where putting limits on himself due to his age is not an option.
Tyson also explained his reasoning for coming out of retirement to go toe-to-toe with Jones Jr.
“It’s because I can do it. And I believe other people believe they can do it too,” Tyson said about the upcoming bout. “Just because we are 54, it doesn’t mean that we have to start a new career and our lives are totally over. Not when you feel as beautiful as I do, and I’m sure that other people feel the same way,” he explained.
“I never took that many punches. After the last fight I had, I left and I lived my life, and I’ve been through some experiences, and now I’m back here. I feel like I took better care of my body and my state of mind than most of the fighters before me that retired and came back,” Tyson continued.
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Jones, meanwhile,has expressed interest in taking on Iron Mike because people have been telling him “you’d be a great opponent.”
“I’ve been trying to enjoy retirement, but people don’t seem to want to let me retire,” Jones said. “They keep calling me, telling me that Mike wants to come back, and that you’d be a great opponent for Mike.”
Are you ready for the Mike Tyson/Roy Jones Jr. showdown?
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