Published 10:52 IST, August 19th 2020
Roy Jones Jr threatens to withdraw from bout with Mike Tyson after delay till November
Roy Jones Jr is threatening to pull out of the highly-anticipated eight-round exhibition fight with Mike Tyson after it's postponed till November 28.
Roy Jones Jr is threatening to pull out of the highly-anticipated eight-round exhibition fight with Mike Tyson after it has been postponed till November 28. The pair signed up for the pay-per-view game, which was originally scheduled from September 12. However, the social media app Triller, which owns the pay-per-view rights for the matchup, announced a 11-week suspension of the event.
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Roy Jones Jr threatens to pull out of Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr after delay till November
During an interview with Daily Mail, Jones stated that the delay from September to November 28 will cost him money. If he isn't compensated for his loss, the 51-year-old boxer is determined to walk away from his eight-round comeback fight. While Jones is unhappy with Triller's delay, Mike Tyson believes the extra time after the delay will help with marketing the event much better.
Jones stated that for him, the game was about "pushing to go ahead and do it". He has been focused because of the upcoming bout and wants to continue to do so. However, he had to "cancel other stuff" to be able to participate in the game, which has ultimately upset his calendar as he had to change things.
The American-Russian added that the delay itself is the "biggest issue". He has other commitments to make an income, as he isn't a full-time boxer now. If he cannot do those other things while waiting for this pay-per-view with Tyson to take place, he hopes to be compensated as "it changes the schematics" and is "not acceptable".
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Roy Jones Jr withdraws: Is Roy Jones Jr threatening legal action?
He went on to explain how his lawyers are talking to their lawyers, trying to figure out a way to better the situation. If he is compensation, it will be "more beneficial" for him. However, Jones added that the fight would be cancelled if the organizers and authorities "don't make it make sense" in the end.
“Why would I change the date and mess up the rest of my year when I agreed to September 12? They said they wanted to get a crowd," Jones said. "If you want to get a crowd, that’s a different type of money. If you want a big event, that’s a different type of money."
In the end, Jones said that they're wrong if they think he would say "OK" if he was not going to get a better percent. The 1988 Seoul Olympics silver medalist referred to the situation as "dumb" for him. He explained that if the negotiation works out, it will benefit his training. However, he isn't sure if "everything will work out yet".
(Image credits: Roy Jones Jr Facebook, Mike Tyson Instagram – @miketyson)
Updated 10:52 IST, August 19th 2020