Jones Jr. should be worried, reckons ring legend Roach

Freddie Roach figures a tiger can't change its stripes.

The Hall of Fame trainer, who counts China's Zou Shiming and Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao among the dozen-plus world champions he's molded, is certain former undisputed heavyweight champ Mike Tyson will be "playing for keeps" in his Nov 28 exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr.

"I spoke with Mike about two weeks ago and I told him he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'exhibition,'" Roach said in a weekend interview with Press Box Sports in Los Angeles.

"He laughed… but he knew what I meant. Mike is an old-school fighter who only has one gear－forward. When that bell rings, he'll be swinging for the fences. I think Mike will knock Roy out."

Even with modified rules, the 54-year-old Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) figures to be a handful for former four-division champion Jones (66-9, 47 KOs) in the scheduled eight-rounder at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The rounds will be two minutes instead of three, which should help Tyson, who showed stamina problems in the last two fights of his career: stoppage losses to Danny Williams in 2004 and Kevin McBride in 2005.

Jones, 51, last fought in 2018, beating journeyman Scott Sigmon. Despite it being an exhibition, the World Boxing Council has created a "Frontline" championship that will be awarded to the winner of the fight, which has been dubbed the "Frontline Battle".

When the contracts were signed four months ago, California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster stated the fight will be stopped if either man suffers a cut, and that both Tyson and Jones should not be looking to score a knockout.

"I want to have their assurances that they understand. They are world-class athletes," Foster told BoxingScene.com. "They have a right to earn, and all these types of things, but we can't mislead the public as to this being some kind of real fight. They can get into it a little bit, but I don't want people to get hurt.

"It's an exhibition. They can exhibit their boxing skills, but I don't want them using their best efforts to hurt each other. They're going to spar hard, but they shouldn't be going for a knockout. This isn't a record-book type of fight. This is not world championship boxing. People shouldn't be getting knocked out."

When Tyson and Jones were asked during last month's kickoff media conference if they agreed with Foster's sentiment, both fighters said they're treating the showdown as if they were in their pugilistic primes.

"My objective is to go in there with the best intentions of my life and to disable my opponent," said Tyson.

"Listen, I don't know what (Foster) is talking about. What's not a real fight? You got me and Roy Jones. I'm coming to fight, and I hope he's coming to fight. That's all you need to know."

Jones agreed, adding: "First of all, if you think you are going into the ring with Mike Tyson, the last guy (Corey Sanders) that did an 'exhibition' with Mike (in 2006) got dropped in the first round.

"If you don't know that, then something is wrong with you. Who goes into the ring with the legendary Mike Tyson and thinks, 'Oh, this is going to be an exhibition?'12-ounce gloves? No headgear? Really? This is an exhibition?' Come on, man. Be real."