Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
Photos by Aaron Rapoport and Bill Tompkins / Getty Images
  • Roy Jones Jr. said he may have made a mistake accepting to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition on November 28.
  • Jones Jr., 51, said Tyson, 54, is the bigger guy, more explosive, and has greater first round knockout prowess than he has.
  • “When it comes time to fight, we’re going to fight. If it comes down to bite, we’re going to bite,” Jones said. “He’s still Mike Tyson.”
  • Tyson said last month that he expects the exhibition, which takes place in California, to be good, old-fashioned, bone-breaking fun.
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Roy Jones Jr. said he may have “made a mistake” agreeing to an exhibition with Mike Tyson because “he’s the bigger, explosive guy.”

Jones and Tyson will compete in an unofficial bout on November 28 in Carson, California.

The exhibition was originally supposed to take place in September but was pushed back two months to attract a greater audience.

Jones, a former four-weight world champion boxer, threatened in August to cancel the event because he said he should be compensated for the delay, but then u-turned days later.

Now, the 51-year-old said he’s well aware that knowing Tyson, 54, like he does, there will be nothing friendly about the exhibition. It will likely be fought with bad intentions, he said, and he will have to defend himself from attempted knockout blows as early as the first round.

"When it comes time to fight, we're going to fight," Jones told Sky Sports. "If it comes down to bite, we're going to bite. Whatever has to happen, is going to happen, that's just what it is."

He added: "He's still Mike Tyson, he's still one of the strongest, most explosive people who ever touched a boxing ring. If anything, I made a mistake going in with him. He's the bigger guy, he's the explosive guy."

Elaborating on the nature of his potential mistake, Jones said: "He's going to have all the first-round fireworks, not me. I do have first-round fireworks, but he's known for more first-round fireworks than anybody to ever touch boxing, other than maybe George Foreman.

"With him having the first-round fireworks, he'll be against a guy smaller than him, maybe 40-50 pounds smaller than him."

The former fighter's concerns are perhaps well-placed considering Tyson's past comments.

Last month, Tyson said the exhibition will be good, old fashioned, bone-breaking fun.

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