Boxing Exhibitions: Side Show, New Angle, or Something Else?

Boxing Exhibitions: Side Show, New Angle, or Something Else?

Maybe it started with Floyd Mayweather Jr’s TKO over brash MMA star Conor McGregor in 2017. The scorecards read 87–83, 89–82, and 89–81 at the time of stoppage. Many felt Floyd carried him. While this wasn’t an exhibition, it was pretty close—and it led to a real “exhibition.”

In November 2018, it was announced that Mayweather would face undefeated kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in December. After some half-hearted build-up, the two fought and the affair quickly ended on a stoppage in the first round when Nasukawa’s corner waved off the fight after he had been knocked down three times. The Japanese had the audacity to weep after his pitiful and non-competitive showing. Floyd had the audacity to collect a reported $9 million dollars for what could only be called a side show.

Fast Forward (2020)

On Sept. 25, 2020 in Tijuana, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. engaged in a thrilling four-round exhibition with Jorge Arce. It was an entertaining brawl — but it was still an exhibition.

Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.

This exhibition fight will be on Saturday, Nov. 28, behind closed doors at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and it’s getting plenty of promotion. The cost is $49.99 and will be available via Fite.tv and through the TysonOnTriller.com website.

Says Tyson, “Just because we are 54 (years old), it doesn’t mean that we have to start a new career and our lives are totally over. Not when you feel as beautiful as I do, and I’m sure that other people feel the same way.”

Promotional videos show a fit Tyson swinging with explosive ferocity (aka speed and power) for several seconds but no one can keep that pace for very long. Meanwhile, Jones (who is actually 51) suggests–perhaps with tongue in cheek– that this bout could be more dangerous than the exhibition rules state and that he may have made a mistake, “He’s still Mike Tyson, he’s still one of the strongest, most explosive people who ever touched a boxing ring,” Jones told Sky Sports.

Jones adds, “We always wanted to see it, but I would’ve preferred it back then. Tyson is a hell of a specimen still. Still a problem to deal with. But at the same time, life is life, you only live once. You want to know what it’s like, you go in there and see. You still gotta see it.

The 8-round match with two-minute rounds will be contested with 12-ounce gloves. Andy Foster, the Executive Director of the California State Athletic Commission, set the parameters. Foster says, “they can get into it a little bit, but I don’t want people to get hurt. They know the deal.”

Smelling money, the WBC has gotten into the action and has created a “Frontline” title belt that will be awarded to the winner of the fight, which has been titled the “Frontline Battle.” Winners of exhibition bouts seems to have an oxymoronic tone to it, but that never stopped a Boxing Federation from going after some money.

The sadness of Mike Tyson is …… he is drawn again to the danger of a trade in which normality is not even a second-class citizen. — Kevin Mitchell, The Guardian

Hopefully, these two legends are in a good place and will come out of this better than they came in but it’s difficult to ignore a hint of circus.

Marco António Barrera vs. Erik Morales (2021-?)

There is some talk about a 4-rounder in Dallas on January 15. Barrera is 45; Morales is 44. Unlike the trepidation many fans have for what can happen in the Tyson-Jones affair, this one would undoubtably be mild and within the true spirit of an exhibition. In short, a fun outing for the fighters, but maybe not so much for the fans.

Oscar De La Hoya, who has been out of the ring for 12 years, has also talked about a comeback —but whether for real or in an exhibition is not quite clear. He said that he has been watching currently active professional boxers and realized that most of them were more interested in the money rather than keeping the essence of the sport…. “That’ll be the big difference. I will fight for the glory, and these guys only fight for the money. And guess what? The glory will always win.”

At the end of the day, one might ask, with reel KO’s coming from “The Monster” and “Tank” and with Teofimo Lopez doing back flips, who needs exhibitions?

 Ted Sares can be reached on Facebook or at tedsares@roadrunner.com.

Check out more boxing news on video at the Boxing Channel 

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE