Ryan Kavanaugh, the co-owner of the Triller app – which is staging the card featuring the exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. – has come out and denied some the chatter regarding the rules and stipulations for the heavyweight fight.
In several interviews with BoxingScene.com, the head of the California State Athletic Commission, Andy Foster, made it clear that Tyson-Jones was going to be nothing more than a hard session of sparring and cautions that neither fighter should be going for a knockout.
Foster also made it clear that a winner would not be announced and no CSAC officials would be scoring the fight at ringside.
But according to Kavanaugh, a knockout ending is a possibility, the World Boxing Council will provide three judges - and he also maintains that there will be a winner announced.
“Know there have been some false rumors swirling, so to be crystal clear. The WBC is scoring the fight. There could be a knockout and there will be one winner. Anyone who says there is no judging or no winner either does not understand the rules or has their own agenda. Unquestionably, 100 percent. DraftKings is the betting partner and is taking bets on the fight in New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Illinois. The only difference is the fight is the gloves are 12 ounces, there are eight rounds and the rounds are two minutes rather than three. That is it,” Kavanaugh said in the statement.
Tyson, 54-years-old, is heading back to the ring after many years of inactivity.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion retired back in 2005, after getting knocked out by journeyman Kevin McBride.
Jones, 51-years-old and a former four division world champion, fought for many years beyond his prime. He last saw action in early 2018.