LOS ANGELES — Mike Tyson did not score a knockout against Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday night, but he looked formidable in his return to the boxing ring at 54.
Tyson looked aggressive from the outset and stalked Jones, 51, through most of their eight-round exhibition fight at Staples Center.
But Jones remained on his feet when the final bell rang — and three former WBC champions scored the bout a draw. USA TODAY Sports scored the fight 78-74 for Tyson.
“I’m glad I got this under my belt,” said Tyson, who also said he was good with the draw “because I entertained the crowd.”
Tyson entered the ring with his signature attire — no socks, black trunks and draped with a towel rather than a robe.
Inside the ring, before the fight began, Tyson appeared to be blinking back tears. It was clearly an emotional moment as he prepared to fight for the first time in 15 years.
Early on, Tyson resembled his old self, too, charging after Jones and unleashing powerful punches. He nailed Jones with several powerful shots. Jones looked hurt in the second round after absorbing another shot to the body.
But after that, Jones frequently kept Tyson in a clinch to help neutralize Tyson’s power — and survive to the final bell.
“The body shots definitely took a toll,” Jones said. “The body shots will make you exhausted.” But Tyson pointed out that Jones took the shots. “Hey, I respect that,” Tyson said.
Here’s the round-by-round recap and scoring from USA TODAY Sports’ Josh Peter:
