After going the full 8 rounds, both Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. were able to hold their heads high as the draw result was announced.
Early in the bout, Jones seemed to move well, jabbing and moving out of the way just in time as Tyson charged in to land hard body shots. As the fight wore on, Jones seemed to rely more and more on resting in the clinch, finding himself increasingly vulnerable to Tyson’s leaping left hooks as the rounds went on. Later in the fight, Jones found success turning southpaw and summoning his old speed, landing multi-punch combinations with his back against the ropes, while Tyson continued to pummel Jones’ ribcage at close quarters.
While some fans may dispute the scoring, most are likely to walk away from the main event with a level of contentment, if not outright excitement. It wasn’t an edge-of-your-seat contest between two elite fighters in their prime; but neither was it a stale pantomime many feared it could be. Neither fighter seemed outmatched or succumbed to injury, and both men were able to execute their style – Mike bobbing and weaving his way forward, and Jones feinting and shuffling with his hands confidently low.
While it might not have excited casuals, those who remember the peak of these fighters’ abilities were happy to see glimpses of the ability that made these men legends in the first place. With both men being able to go home to their families without injury, could we really ask for more than that?
