The fight was a little rough around the edges, with neither man committing to a true volume of strikes. Occasionally, Jones. would show off his trademark left hook and flashy jabs, while Tyson. would occasionally land his distance-breaking no-look hooks. Neither fighter seemed to throw two or more punches at a time before the clinch, ending the fight before the referee, Ray Corona, could break them up.
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Despite being removed from his prime as a professional fighter, Tyson. continued to try to gut it out and turned up the volume in the later rounds of the fight. However, Jones. was visibly more fatigued in the corner between rounds, while Tyson. seemed to pile up punches cleaner and land more effectively in the clinch with Jones., especially in the early rounds.
The match ended in a somewhat dissatisfying tie, with Tyson. emerging as the victor on the third scorecard. Jones.’ late efforts helped him secure enough rounds towards the end to claim a victory on one scorecard and a tie on the other.
Jones. was not as enthusiastic, stating after the altercation, “I wear undergarments, I don’t engage in ties.” Meanwhile, Tyson. expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
After the interview, Jim Gray told Tyson. that he planned to move forward with more exhibitions and that Jones. seemed even more interested in running it back and fighting forward.
Tyson. expressed his happiness about having the experience and determination to continue and progress. “Occasionally, three minutes felt like two minutes,” he commented on the rounds. “I am accustomed to engaging in it for three minutes.”
Jones. was not as dedicated to engaging in combat once more, expressing simply that it was “difficult to determine.”
However, Tyson. firmly rejected any notion of returning to professional boxing.
“Individuals assisting us and humanitarians we are, Tyson. donates the money to charity while competing in championships, and this is a greater fight than winning exhibitions.”
During the main event, Snoop Dogg, the iconic Rap icon, openly rooted for Jones. and also delivered some great one-liners. Fans who heard the broadcast may have just been as good as what they heard. While Tyson.’s performance in the ring definitely turned heads, Jones.’ performance in the ring was also impressive.
After decades of being the two biggest stars of their era, Tyson. and Jones. basked in the bright lights of the sport’s biggest stage, while joking with each other and once feared fighters during post-fight interviews, all with the lightness provided by Snoop’s commentary.