On Saturday, November 28th, two great icons in boxing history will attempt to turn back the hands of time as Mike Tyson takes on Roy Jones Jr. in a highly anticipated exhibition bout. This contest is scheduled for eight rounds and titled “Frontline Battle.”
The main event will be for the newly created WBC Frontline Battle belt. Neither man will be wearing head gear for this contest. Celebrities will be used for judges as there won’t be an official winner declared by the judges or the California State Athletic Commission. Both fighters will receive a belt.
Andy Foster, CSAC executive director, commented on the Tyson vs Jones fight:
“There’s no winner going to be announced. I do think that’s very important to get out there. The unofficial scores are for entertainment only and that’s done by the WBC remotely. Not by the commission cause the commission didn’t credential those judges because of COVID. It’s for entertainment purposes only. There’s no official winner at the end of this.”
The co-main event sounds more ludicrous as YouTube celebrity Jake Paul takes on former NBA star Nate Robinson. Fortunately, there will be some real boxing action as well as Viddal Riley takes on Rashad Coulter and Badou Jack takes on Blake McKernan.
This spectacle will be live on PPV and Triller for the price of $49.99. The main card is set to begin at 9PM ET. Tyson and Jones are expected to hit the ring after 10PM ET.
Boxing betting sites have released odds for most of this event’s main card. Let’s step inside the ring to examine these odds, identify any value, and KO our predictions.
Legends will clash 👊💥 when former undefeated heavyweight champion, @MikeTyson, returns to the ring to face former four-division world champ, @RealRoyJonesJr 🥊❗. Order the fight of the century 💯on PPV Sat. 11/28. #TysonJones pic.twitter.com/R0dNVco0Z9
— Suddenlink (@Suddenlink) November 24, 2020
Where to Bet on Tyson vs Jones Jr. Online
Above, we included our list of the best sites for betting on this entertaining fight card. If you’re looking to bet on Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr or even Jake Paul vs. Nate Robinson, these sites will offer you the best odds you’ll find online. Not only do they provide a safe online betting experience, but they also offer bonuses to new and returning customers that you can use to increase your boxing betting bankroll. For more on these betting sites, check out the page linked below.
Viddal Riley vs Rashad Coulter
- Viddal Riley (NA)
- Rashad Coulter (NA)
As of this writing, there are no betting odds for this fight. There’s a chance that odds will be released following Thanksgiving. If I had to guess, I would say that Riley ends up being the slight betting favorite.
Riley vs Coulter Preview
| Details | Viddal Riley | Rashad Coulter |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 23 | 38 |
| Height | 6’1” | 6’0” |
| Reach | 76.5” | — |
| Total Fights | 4 | 4 |
| Record | 4-0 | 4-0 |
| Knockouts | 2 | 3 |
Rashad Coulter is a former MMA fighter who turned pro boxer. At 38 years old, it’s a surprise that he’s returned to boxing. However, at 4-0, Coulter isn’t someone for the young Riley to take lightly.
In fact, Coulter is setting out to derail the prospect’s career:
“Everyone thinks I’m 1-0 in boxing but the truth is, I’m 4-0 in boxing. The last boxing fight I had was in 2016 just before I signed to the UFC and he was a two-time national champion and I knocked him out in the first round. To me, that doesn’t mean anything. What matters is your heart. It will come down to who wants it more and I feel like he hasn’t been pushed and I will push him. I will be extremely strong and explosive. Then, when I beat him, it will only up more doors for me”
Coulter will have an advantage in combat experience along with the overall brute strength factor. But, he is giving up a few inches in height and reach.
As a pro MMA fighter, “Daywalker” has gone 9-5 in his career. He last fought 11 months ago and lost via 1st round TKO. Eight of his nine pro MMA wins have come via TKO/KO. Four of his five pro losses have come via TKO/KO.
Riley turned pro two years ago and has quickly improved to 4-0 in his career. He last fought in February and won via unanimous decision in a four round contest. His last two bouts went the distance. This will be his first pro bout where he’s scheduled to go beyond four rounds.
Who Wins: MMA Fighter or Boxer?
I give Coulter credit for taking on a prospect with potential, but he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Riley is the better boxer with the reach advantage and will pick apart Coulter from a distance before finishing the fight with a knockout.
Riley vs Coulter Preview –Riley (NA)
Badou Jack vs Blake McKernan
- Badou Jack (-1700)
- Blake McKernan (+750)
Badou Jack enters as a large betting favorite with odds ranging from -1400 to -2000. He’s a former champ and looks to get back into contention with a win this weekend. McKernan is a big underdog with odds ranging +750 to +1200.
Jack vs McKernan Preview
| Details | Badou Jack | Blake McKernan |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 37 | 33 |
| Height | 6’1” | 6’1” |
| Reach | 73” | — |
| Total Fights | 28 | 13 |
| Record | 22-3-3 | 13-0 |
| Knockouts | 13 | 6 |
Blake McKernan enters this bout unbeaten in his pro boxing career. He last fought 15 months ago and won via unanimous decision. He hasn’t had a TKO/KO win since May 2018. This will be his third pro fight that’s scheduled for eight rounds.Badou Jack is coming off a razor thin loss to Jean Pascal 11 months ago via split decision. He was down 112-114 on two of the judges’ scorecards, but won 114-112 on the third judge’s scorecard. The loss cost Jack his WBA title.
One thing about @BadouJack, he has a heart of 💛.
via @EsquireME pic.twitter.com/j8xpzDcOZ3
— Mayweather Promotions (@MayweatherPromo) November 18, 2020
Jack is focused on the rematch and feels that this bout is nothing more than a “keep busy fight” as McKernan isn’t on his level:
“It’s a different event, usually I fight world class fighters, this guy isn’t a world class fighter. I respect anybody who gets in the ring but I’m gonna take care of business. This is dedicated to my charity and this is not a regular event, it’s different.”
Anytime a boxer is dedicating his payday and win to a charity, you know that the fight won’t be a competitive one.
For McKernan, he has everything to gain and nothing to lose. For Jack, he has everything to lose and nothing to gain. If Jack drops this bout, he can kiss his world title rematch against Pascal goodbye. As of now, that rematch looks to be set for early 2021.
As for the winner, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where Jack loses. Although there’s no value with Jack, take the former champ to win via TKO/KO.
Badou Jack vs Blake McKernan –Jack (-1700)
Jake Paul vs Nate Robinson
- Jake Paul (-210)
- Nate Robinson (+170)
Jake Paul comes into this co-main event as a favorite with odds ranging from -180 to -250. Robinson is the underdog with odds ranging from +130 to +190.
Paul vs Robinson Preview
| Details | Jake Paul | Nate Robinson |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 23 | 36 |
| Height | 6’1” | 5’9” |
| Reach | 76” | — |
| Total Fights | 1 | 0 |
| Record | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Knockouts | 1 | 0 |
Jake Paul gained his stardom from YouTube along with his brother Logan Paul. Along the way, they both got into heated feuds which turned into pro boxing fights. For Jake, he’s had one amateur bout where he beat Deji.
The success of his amateur fight motivated the younger Paul brother to turn pro in 2019. In his lone pro bout, second boxing fight overall, Jake won via 1st round TKO over fellow YouTube personality AnEsonGib.
Now, 11 months later, Paul returns to the ring to take on a former NBA star Nate Robinson. To his credit, Paul has surrounded himself with real boxing trainers and former champs.
FIGHT WEEK. PRBLM CHILD ACTIVATED. pic.twitter.com/RQ7YkMJ2zY
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 23, 2020
Not only is he serious about this fight, but he’s also serious about continuing in the sport. In fact, he wants to win a belt and fight the biggest names in both boxing and MMA:
“I want to prove to people that I’m a legitimate boxer, legitimate professional boxer with skill and someone that people should be scared of. I have knockout power, I’m dangerous, and to me that’s super important and again, that’s just going to take multiple fights to prove that. I want to fight the biggest names in the sport, I want to take UFC fighters like Ben Askren, like Masvidal, whoever it is and bring them over to boxing, put them in a ring and go head-to-head with them.”
But, Jake Paul didn’t stop there, he also called out the most popular MMA fighter in Conor McGregor as well:
“I want to fight Conor McGregor eventually. Whoever wants to get in the boxing ring with me, I want to be able to do it and beat them.”
Robinson Feels That He Belongs in Boxing
The former three time NBA Dunk champion has had documented issues with the sport of basketball as he felt that he could never truly be himself. Yet, with boxing, Robinson not only feels that he can be himself, but he also feels that it provides him with a great opportunity in life:
“Everybody’s already counted me out so many times. When I was in the league I had to prove everybody wrong, I had to play with a chip on my shoulder every game. I had to wake people up and let them see I’m really a hard worker. Come November 28 I’m going to show the world all the hard work I put in. Show them I’m really built for this.”
Who Wins: NBA Star or YouTube Star?
I give both men credit, they have taken this publicity stunt very seriously as they’ve spent a great deal of time training for this fight.
It’s a fight that many wonder how it even came about. Apparently, Nate Robinson cracked one too many jokes on Jake Paul in a TMZ Sports interview. The public banter turned into a real fight inside the boxing ring.
Paul has a four inch height advantage and probably the same amount in reach. He’s also 13 years younger than Robinson.
Although Nate is used to competing against taller opponents, that was in basketball and not boxing. In boxing, the taller man often has the overall advantage with his height and reach.
In this contest, I see that happening as well. I believe Jake Paul will use his reach advantage to pepper Robinson from a distance. This will help him to win rounds and eventually win the fight via decision.
Not only will Paul have his hand raised after this co-main event, but he will also raise his hand after this event does well on Triller, which he’s an investor in.
Paul vs Robinson Preview –Paul (-210)
Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr.
- Mike Tyson (-175)
- Roy Jones Jr. (+158)
Mike Tyson enters this contest as the betting favorite with odds ranging from -170 to -250 depending on which online betting site you use to place your bets on boxing matches. Roy Jones Jr. enters as the underdog with odds ranging from +150 to +175.
Tyson vs Jones Jr. Preview
| Details | Mike Tyson | Roy Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 54 | 51 |
| Height | 5’10” | 5’11” |
| Reach | 71” | 74” |
| Total Fights | 58 | 75 |
| Record | 50-6 | 66-9 |
| Knockouts | 44 | 47 |
Additional Exhibition Rules for Tyson vs Jones Jr.
In addition to the rules mentioned above, this legendary exhibition will also have the following stipulations:
- This will be an 8 round exhibition
- Each round will be 2 minutes long
- Fighters will wear 12 ounce gloves
- If either boxer sustains a bad but then the fight is over
- They’re not allowed to go for the knockout
- Both fighters must pass all medical and drug testing for fight to take place
Roy Jones Jr. Career Recap
Jones is a former four division champion and is viewed as one of the most skilled boxers of all-time. He’s often considered the most skilled of his era as he won titles from middleweight up to heavyweight. In fact, Jones was the first middleweight to go up and win a heavyweight title in over 100 years.
“Roy Jones Jr.” a film by Big Fish Boxing 🎞🔰
Available now: https://t.co/dZ606P8U6E pic.twitter.com/2u3huZw17M
— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) November 17, 2020
Jones last fought in February 2018 and won via unanimous decision. He closed out his active career on a four fight win streak. In fact, he was 12-1 in his last 13 pro bouts. Jones finished his pro career with a 62.6% knockout rate with his last TKO/KO win coming in February 2017.
Mike Tyson Career Recap
Mike Tyson became the most feared man in boxing when he became the undisputed heavyweight champion in 1987. He was the youngest heavyweight champ when winning the WBC title in 1986. He was 37-0 before dropping his first career loss.
IRON MIKE!
For the first time in fifteen years, it’s fight week for @MikeTyson 🥊 pic.twitter.com/ogu8vtACs0
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) November 23, 2020
Legal issues derailed his career during his prime. Tyson wasn’t the same after coming out of prison.
He would lose two straight fights to Evander Holyfied including the infamous ear biting incident. Tyson would also lose to Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride before retiring.
“Iron Mike” lost three of his last four pro fights including two in a row. He hasn’t fought since June 2005. Yet, he’s still regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. Since “Iron Mike” retired, no other fighter has taken the sport by storm the way Tyson has.
Who Was Better: Mike Tyson or Roy Jones Jr.?
In their primes, Mike Tyson was the bigger box office attraction and the more feared fighter. He was a scary man in and out of the ring. His knockouts were brutal. However, he wasn’t as skilled as Roy Jones Jr.
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. is a week from today.
— Triller paid $50M for media rights
— Tyson & Jones Jr. are GTD $10M each
— Could be $20M+ depending on PPV #’s
— Sponsorships will bring extra $$$
The craziest part?
Check out Mike Tyson at 20 vs 54. pic.twitter.com/YZhMfun0dO
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) November 21, 2020
Jones had the better boxing skills, athleticism, technical skills, footwork and IQ than Tyson. He was the better pound for pound overall fighter between the two.
Roy Jones Jr. won multiple world titles in multiple weight classes. Mike Tyson only won belts in one weight class. Albeit, he became the undisputed champ.
If you are matching up their careers then Jones was the better pound for pound fighter.
What are They Saying About the Fight?
Initially, this fight was supposed to take place in September, but it was pushed back to November which didn’t sit well with Jones. The 51 year old Jones Jr. made the following comments about the fight getting delayed:
“They said well we got more attention than we expected to get, and this happened and that happened, so we want to move it … I don’t back out of nothing, like I’m scared of Mike Tyson because he’s Mike Tyson, it’s just that I know that in six weeks, he had no chance to deal with me. In 12 weeks, well, he’d make it a little bit, he’ll have a better chance to deal with me, but his chance is still gonna be rough, but it’s gonna be better than it would’ve been in six weeks, because in six weeks, he didn’t have a chance.”
Mike Tyson aims to go into this exhibition to disable his opponent:
“My mindset is totally bliss. This is something I’ve done all my life since I was 13 years old. I’m more evolved now than I’ve ever been. My objective is to go in there with the best intentions of my life and to disable my opponent, and that’s just what it is.”
Who Will Win: Mike Tyson or Roy Jones Jr.?
It’s clear, Tyson will have the power advantage, but Jones will have the speed and athletic advantages. Former heavyweight world champ George Foreman believes that Jones’ speed will cause problems for Tyson on Saturday:
“I think that’s going to be an issue for Mike against Roy, because Roy has speed. Even at his age [51], he’s going to be faster than Mike, and that’s something when you have been away, it takes a while to get back how to deal with that and be used to it.”
I have to agree with Foreman here. I believe Jones will create problems for Tyson with his speed and footwork. Tyson hasn’t fought anyone in 15 years, whereas Jones last fought in 2018. This will also be an advantage for Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday.
With that said, it’s hard to pick a winner since it’s an exhibition where there’s supposed to be no winner. In fact, with both men getting a belt after the fight, it’s almost as if each man gets a participation trophy.
The only way we can see a clear winner is if someone puts their opponent flat on the canvas. Even with the speed advantage, Tyson just needs a few clean power shots to end this fight.
For the sake of picking a winner, I’ll take Roy Jones Jr. via “decision.” I believe both men will do their best to make this a compelling event with Tyson trying to knockout Jones.
Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. –Jones Jr. (+158)
Will There Be a Stoppage?
Tyson winning via TKO/KO is listed at -149 odds with Jones listed at +400 odds for a TKO/KO. If this fight goes the distance, which I believe it will, Tyson is +500 and Jones is +300 to win.
In the 15 years that Tyson was away from the sport, Jones fought 23 times including two years ago. Yes, his last handful of fights were against questionable opponents, but he still won them.
Three years younger, and the more active fighter, I believe Jones will do enough to outpoint Tyson in this contest. I don’t see any TKO/KOs for either fighter.
Will This Event Hurt Either Man’s Legacy?
Although Mike Tyson has more to lose than Roy Jones Jr., I don’t see Saturday’s outcome hurting either man. In fact, if Tyson wins then he will probably fight Evander Holyfield next. If Jones wins, he might take another pro bout. Personally, I would love to see Jones fight one of the Paul brothers which would be hilarious.
Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. Fight Card
- Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. in an 8 round heavyweight fight
- Jake Paul vs Nate Robinson in a 6 round cruiserweight bout
- Badou Jack vs Blake McKernan in an 8 round light heavyweight contest
- Viddal Riley vs Rashad Coulter in a 6 round cruiserweight bout
Preliminary Card
- Jamaine Ortiz vs Nahir Albright
- Irvin Gonzalez Jr vs Edward Vasquez
- Juiseppe Cusumano vs Nick Jones
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
