Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. fought each other in boxing exhibition last November.
Despite both fighters being in their 50s, the fight that resulted in a draw was a massive success.
The event broadcasted on Triller generated over 1.6 million pay-per-view buys, according to reports. Overall, the bout generated over $80 million in total revenue.
Neither Jones nor Tyson got seriously hurt, and both walked away millions of dollars richer.
The success of that exhibition opened up a Pandora’s box of old legends wanting to return to the ring.
Here are some big names in combat sports making a comeback.
- June 5: Evander Holyfield versus Kevin McBride
- June 12: Juan Manuel Marquez versus Miguel Cotto
- June 19: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. versus Anderson Silva
- June 19: Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. versus Hector Camacho Jr.
- TBA: Oscar De La Hoya announced his comeback with an opponent TBD.
These old fighters realize their names are still marketable. Perhaps, they give fans a sense of nostalgia for all the great memories that captivated millions during their respective heydays.
Boxing purists may think exhibitions are a joke that hurt the sport, but they will still tune in regardless — along with millions of others.
There were talks of former heavyweight champion Holyfield, 58, doing an exhibition with Tyson, 54, but instead will fight Kevin McBride. The bout will be on unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez’s undercard on Triller. McBride is known for ‘retiring’ Tyson after stopping him in 2005.
Marquez, 47, fighting Cotto, 40, would be another chapter of the classic rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. Given the two legends’ ‘younger’ age, expect this to be more action-packed at a faster pace than the eight two-minute rounds Tyson and Jones gave us.
Although Silva is 45 years old and has boxed professionally only twice (1-1), he is such a legend in mixed martial arts that fans will be intrigued by this matchup against a relatively young and active 35-year-old Chavez Jr. The 10-round fight will be contracted at 180 pounds, according to ESPN.
Now, the Chavez Sr. versus Camacho Jr. might be the most interesting one of them all given the history of it all. In 1992, Chavez Sr. beat Camacho Jr.’s father (who passed away in 2012) via unanimous decision for the light welterweight title.
The 42-year-old son of the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee has a chance to “avenge” his father’s loss 29 years later in a six-round exhibition. The bout will be held at the 58-year-old Chavez Sr.’s home country of Mexico, according to the WBC. The fight will be on the same card as Chavez Jr. and Silva.
De La Hoya, 48, has not boxed since being dominated by Manny Pacquiao in 2008. “The Golden Boy” has yet to announce his opponent, but former UFC fighter Eddie Alvarez told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani he is in “serious talks” to fight the former six-division world champion.