Betting sites favor Mike Tyson over Roy Jones, Jr. in their boxing match expected to take place on November 28. Iron Mike sure picked a weird time to come out of retirement, but the best online sportsbooks are loving it.
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Betting Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mike Tyson | -180 |
| Roy Jones Jr | +150 |
Betting Mike Tyson
Tyson is the favorite according to betting sites. Iron Mike became the youngest heavyweight champion in the world at age 20. He still holds that record. His unorthodox but powerful punching turned him into an attraction when the world of boxing was at its zenith. However, the former undisputed champion hasn’t been in a ring in 15 years and is now 54 years old. Moreover, he hasn’t had a win since February 2003. On that occasion, he made quick work of Clifford Etienne with a knockout in the first round.
Betting Roy Jones, Jr.
Captain Hook is the underdog per betting sites. Tyson was a crazy SOB and really fun to watch in the late ’80s into the ‘90s. But it was Jones who earned the title of the boxer of the decade for the 1990s. The former light heavyweight hasn’t been on the shelf as long as Tyson. He had his last fight in 2018 and scored a unanimous decision win over Scott Sigmon to end his career on a four-fight winning streak. In addition to light heavyweight, Jones excelled in three other weight classes. In 2003, he became the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in more than 100 years. He never fought angrily but toyed with his opponents and behaved like an entertainer as opposed to a vicious fighter.
On the other hand, his shenanigans in the ring are a dangerous game to play with a psycho like Tyson. If you tick Mike off, you just might leave the ring with one fewer appendage. Jones likes to keep his hands low and use his extraordinary lateral movement to open up spaces to land his accurate hooks. Conversely, we can expect Mike to close the distance and land his own heavy hooks while keeping Jones from dancing his way out of danger.
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr Pick
It’s hard to foretell how this fight will play out. It will be an exhibition match with possibly 12-ounce gloves. It’s not likely that these two will be going in for the kill unless Tyson loses his crap. Furthermore, the speed advantage would certainly go to Roy Jones Jr., as he is the smaller man and was in action just two years ago. The question remains as to how serious and competitive this fight is going to be.
If it turns out to be no more than a glorified sparring session, one would have to lean toward Jones winning by having room to breathe and using his footwork to outpoint Tyson. But if the pace picks up and the two former champions look to trade blows, the edge would go to Tyson because he’s lethal at close range. It’s difficult to see Mike Tyson returning to the ring just to lose, even if it is an exhibition bout. Tyson didn’t have much of a work ethic, in particular in the latter days of his career. This new and improved Mike seems different, though.
Still, Roy Jones Jr. should be in better shape, with more energy and more fluid movements than Mike. After all, he retired just two years ago. We also have the value factor. Jones Jr. is a technical fighter who can stretch the fight to the full eight rounds if he has to. Betting on Roy Jones Jr. means betting on the better fighter who is in better shape.
