Were any of you surprised to see an anticlimactic, unofficial draw finish to Saturday's Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition?
If you were shocked that this exhibition went nowhere, after being told for weeks upon weeks that no official scoring would take place and no KOs or heavy action would be allowed, you are a true and total-- send all your money to a Nigerian Prince online-- mark.
Tyson and Jones did what I expected them to do. They moved around, did some of their trademark moves, but never got close to actually fighting. Tyson pulled his punches like they had handles and both took care of each other in the ring like we should be taking care of one another during this pandemic.
In pro wrestling terminology, this was a worked shoot-- a fake fight that has small elements of realness to it. But, again, why did anyone expect anything else?
Would it have made sense for either of these guys to try and kill one another and ruin what could be a long string of lucrative exhibitions against other retired former champs? A crushing KO would've done just that. Commissions would've squashed further events and sponsors would've backed away. These guys are 50-something, not 20-something. They may be fierce competitors at heart, but they're not conquerors anymore and they're not dumb.
What WAS dumb, however, was the fact that so many people were actually convinced that this would be a real fight and were debating strategy and possibilities leading up to the opening bell.
Podcaster/Comedian/Hero of Frat Boys Everywhere, Joe Rogan, represented this naiveté perfectly in his podcast on the Wednesday before the event.
"I guarantee you when that bell goes off, that is going to be a fucking fight," Rogan assured, with wide-eyed enthusiasm. "Mike Tyson is not fighting any exhibitions. He's gonna come bobbing and weaving, swinging death with each hand, and Roy Jones Jr. is going to be moving and throwing that nasty left hook...and let the best man win. But that is going to be a fight. I can't imagine those two legends are just gonna move around...I can't imagine a world where someone doesn't connect and some crazy shit doesn't happen."
Well...no. Not fucking at all.
Tyson-Jones was what it was and what it was always going to be. That's neither good nor bad. It only became a problem if you were deluded or somehow convinced into thinking otherwise.
And, while we're on the subject of Saturday's show, just a brief word on Jake Paul and his KO of sloppy-as-fuck retired NBA star Nate Robinson.
Can we stop pretending to be disgusted by the quality of this tussle Yahoo Sports called "one of the most farcical matches in boxing history?" How many fights between novice pros, with one fight under their belt and/or making their pro debut, are even sloppier? Hell, I saw worse and sloppier just that same day. Whoever wrote that nonsense on Yahoo clearly began watching boxing that very same night.
Here's a hard truth for the media "experts"-- Jake Paul has accomplished more in boxing than 99.99% of the boxing media that thinks he shouldn't be in boxing. It's not his fault that his fame gets him more exposure and more money than any other 2-fight pro. The guy is just a two-fight beginner who got a late start in boxing. I don't see him as anything more or less, despite him being an obnoxious twit. Honestly, he's at a pretty decent level for being what he is.
There was some considerable hate going on Saturday night from boxing purists and from those who were clearly confused as to what they were buying into -- a hate that met a sizable, opposing wave of positive reactions to the night of fluff. There was also a hefty amount of delusion out there from people who thought Tyson-Jones was real and who were actually entertained by the fight. But people being boxing-stupid is a topic for another rant.
Many felt like they got their 50 bucks' worth with the two much-publicized celeb-friendly main events, the hip-hop all-stars entertaining between bouts, and the general lighthearted tone of the evening.
Entertainment is subjective. So, like what you like. But there's a bigger lesson to be learned in Saturday's show, which will almost assuredly be a pay-per-view success and could very well be the biggest-selling boxing PPV of the year.
It goes to show you that success in boxing is mostly about promotion and offering fans some intrigue-- even if it's just the illusion of intrigue. Boxing is not like other sports. The sporting aspect is not enough. Not anymore, anyway. You have to have some drama, some showbiz circus element, some recall to brighter days or clear lead-in to future excitement.
This also goes to show you that boxing, as a viable drawing entity that the general public will embrace under the right circumstances, is very much alive. It's just that present day promoters, managers, fighters, and networks aren't doing it right. The general public wants to embrace boxing, we're simply not giving them something embraceable.
Got something for Magno? Send it here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.