Tyson Fury gave SPORTbible his prediction for how Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr goes down – and it’s the most spot-on prediction yet.
Saturday’s fight is officially an exhibition, leaving some fans confused as to whether the pair are actually allowed to hurt each other or go for a knockout. But heavyweight champion Fury addressed that question head-on – and gave Jones a brutal warning about what to expect.
“Is it a fight or is it an exhibition play around? I’m not sure what’s going on,” Fury began. “I assume Mike Tyson’s gonna fight.
“He’s a fearsome guy and no one to be messed around with. So I wouldn’t like to go into a play-fight with Mike, thinking it’s going to be a play-fight – and he takes your brains out, looking to knock you spark out.
“So, if I was Roy, I’d keep my hands up at all times…”
Protect yourself at all times is the first rule of boxing – and the 32-year-old Fury is probably correct when he says ‘Iron Mike’ will likely try and swing bombs for as long as he can. That’s certainly how he approached a pro career that delivered 22 first-round knockouts.
“They’re really inspiring the younger generation because, when you’re that old, you’re usually finished and over the hill; chubby and overweight.
“These men are really in good shape and they want to fight – and I think it’s fantastic. Not just for sport, for people in general. Because it gives me inspiration to want to do something when I’m 50-odd years old.”
Fury also explains that his dad, Gypsy John Fury, who had a boxing career of his own, is also a middle-aged inspiration to the undefeated British heavyweight star.
“You know, my dad was running with me yesterday,” says Fury. “He’s 56 years old, doing seven-mile runs a day. That inspires me because I want to be fit and doing seven-mile runs with my kids when I’m 56.”
California is the location for Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr this weekend. Could we possibly see the 50-something winner take on hard-running John Fury in 2021? We honestly would not bet against it.
All imagery: PA Images