28 November,2020 07:57 AM IST | Mumbai | Shunashir Sen
Mike Tyson fights Trevor Berbick in 1986. Pic/AFP
One is 54 years old. The other is 51. And yet, Mike Tyson facing Roy Jones Jr at The Staples Centre in Los Angeles on November 28 is being billed as the biggest boxing event of the year. Both former champions will fight for a charitable cause, despite being past their prime. We get Indian boxing ace and Arjuna-Awardee Akhil Kumar and three fans of the sport to weigh in on the match, without mincing words.
Just a gimmick
This match is all about publicity and drama. It's about making money, that's the whole point. I don't find that there is any entertainment here. When Floyd Mayweather Jr fought Manny Pacquiao, there was at least an angle of it being America vs Asia. Here, both the fighters are from the US. I can understand it only from a motivational factor, in terms of the two looking to stay fit thanks to this match. It's like how Lance Armstrong made a comeback after suffering from cancer. But honestly, I don't care who wins. Tyson had a bad reputation in the middle, and after that his PR machinery tried to patch things up for him. This is all a part of that.
Prediction: Don't care
Akhil Kumar, boxing gold-medal winner at 2005 Commonwealth Games
Personality clash
My earliest memory of Mike Tyson is watching him beat Trevor Berbick in the 1990s, and the reason I watched that match is that my grandfather had told me that there is this person who is a really famous boxer, who I should check out. He looks to be in great shape for his age, going by the videos I have seen of him training, while Roy Jones Jr was fighting till just two years ago. So, this match is believable. I am interested in these two people because their personalities supersede everything else.
Prediction: Mike Tyson
Pratik Datta, sales professional
Painful business
I started watching Mike Tyson only in the 1990s, by when he was past his prime. But he still had this whole aura of being a bad guy. He was as much about the intimidation as the fight. As for Roy Jones Jr, I heard of him later, only when I started training my- self. I would earlier think that he was a rapper, because he had released a track. I just hope that the two of them are safe at the end of this match. It's a sport that is in the business of pain, so neither of them should be left slurring for the rest of their lives.
Prediction: Mike Tyson
Neelabh Pandey, lawyer
Character building
There was a match that Mike Tyson lost against Buster Douglas in 1990 that sticks out in my memory. There was no TV coverage back then, but the newspapers carried it. It was insane because no one could believe it. I think this match is good for the sport because boxing is missing the sense of character it had earlier.
Most people won't be able to name even five contemporary boxers. I haven't seen much of Roy Jones Jr but I know that he is quick and strong. He also seems to be in better shape.
Prediction: Roy Jones Jr
Roshan Burman, entrepreneur
Shadow boxing
If the idea of actually boxing against an opponent isn't your cup of tea, then there are a host of online boxing games that you can check out. Log on to the Google Play Store and download options such as Virtual Boxing League, Knockout League and The Thrill of the Fight.
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