MMA Fighting - Roy Jones Jr. Talks 'Hammers and Nails' Fight With Mike Tyson, Still Open to Anderson Silva Fight

Episode Date: July 28, 2020

Former four-division world boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. joins MMA Fighting's Mike Heck to discuss his eight-round boxing exhibition fight with Mike Tyson Sept. 12, his reaction to the booking, still being open to a boxing match with Anderson Silva, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. All right, this man needs no introduction. In fact, he's getting ready to fight Mike Tyson on September 12th in an exhibition match in Carson, California. I cannot believe we are saying these words and having this conversation, Roy, but I am so fired up for this fight. I can't even begin to tell you. How are you doing awesome?

And anybody who's not fired up for this fight is out of their mind. You understand me? You got to be out of your mind. How can you have two of the most entertaining souls to ever grace a boxing ring in the history of the sport, in the ring at the same time, with three-year-age difference apart, and not be excited. I have to know, how did this come together?

Like, I know that you had been talking about maybe fighting Mike for a little while now, but now that it's come together and Penn has gone to paper and this thing is happening, how did it come together? I'm curious. They just called me, told me that they have been thinking about Mike wanted to come out and fight somebody, and they said we got you the guy we want to choose

because we try other people, but everybody else keeps bringing us boxing promoters or boxing managers or boxing business people, boxing lawyers. We don't want that. We want to do it outside of boxing. So you get your money and might get this money. Everybody gets what they deserve and not to pay everybody else in the world. So we want to make sure y'all are taking care. So every time we try to do it with somebody else, they bring us boxing people.

So we feel like you're the only person that we probably do it with who won't have to bring us boxing people. I said, this is very true. And it was something that I wanted to do after I wanted to have a weight title anyway. So since I wanted to fight him after I became a heavyweight champ, he was out of boxing at that time. He didn't want to come back in.

He didn't want to get back in the box at the time. I went ahead and moved on. But now that the opportunity is presented itself, how could I turn it down? Then, here go how it goes. When you got COVID, all the other sports are pretty much on lockdown. Can't really do much.

Bubbling BACs in some places. and some night. I just read the thing this morning eight, five or eight baseball players just tested positive for COVID. So those team sports are probably going to stop in a minute too. What's a safer sport

than a one-on-one sport where only us two fighting, you got corner people, but they can wear their masks and whatever, which doesn't necessarily prevent it, but it helps, I think, what they've been saying.

So to get a sport where you can have two of the most entertaining guys ever, shed the ring for one night and entertain them. whole world. How did you say no to that? How refreshing is that knowing that even at this point in your in your combat sports career, because I know you're doing a lot with with island fights. You've dabbled in MMA as well, but you mentioned not having promoters and boxing

people involved. There's just you, you two guys putting this fight together and making it happen. How refreshing is that, especially in this day and age and what we've seen in boxing over the last several years, just have two guys that want to fight and you guys just get it done without much of an issue? Super refreshing to me. Super refreshing. It's a beautiful thing. And you guys are both getting taken care of,

and that makes it even better. But when you got the call that this was an option for you, how did you react to that, knowing that all these years later, you wanted this fight so long ago, now you get to actually have it. Like, how did you react to the news of like, man, this is really happening?

I was excited, but I don't ever get too aesthetic until I see full paperwork done. And about two weeks ago, we got the full paperwork done. And I was like, yes, now we got some. So this is an exhibition bound. So for those who, like, don't really know what that means, like, some people look at it as like, oh, these two guys are going to throw hammers. And then the other, there's the other side of the equation.

Like, no, it's just an exhibition fight. Like, how would you define what this fight's going to be all about and how it's going to play out in the ring? Everything Mike throws is a hammer. He don't know how to throw nothing but a hammer. So you better have you behind prepared to deal with a hammer coming at you. And if a hammer comes at me, then I have to throw a nail back. So when he throws his hammer, I'm going to be trying to nail him. So it's just what it is.

How fired up are you for this on a scale one to 10 from like a competitive standpoint? Hammers and nails. I'm on 12. Hammers and nails. That could be the poster right there. I saw the poster already, but that could be the new. Hammers and nails. This is exciting stuff. I can't believe we're talking about this. Can you believe this?

Like, if I, if you, if I said five years ago that you're going to fight Mike Tyson in 2020, how would you, how would you have answered that or responded to that? The same way I would respond if you had told me in 1988, that I was going to become heavyweight champ. I would say it in no way. So for those who are on the fence about this fight, Roy, and I don't know why people would be on the fence. Get off the fence and get in a chair. This is just, this is just amazing. I can't believe this is happening. So everything worked out great for you on this. Get off the fence and get in a chair. and pay attention. In terms of your boxing career,

you're coming back in fighting Mike Tyson. This is huge. This is a one-time-only thing for you? Or? Unless it goes well. If it goes well, it's competitive, I'll try it again if he wants to

because that's who I am. I don't believe in the beating a guy one time, they don't give him a shot back if he wants again, and it's a good competitive fight. I mean, you know, if it's easy, then no, why I do it again? But if it's a competitive fight, which I know it's going to be,

and it works out good, and nobody gets seriously hurt. hurt, they want to do it again, especially if the people are entertained and get what they want out of it. Why would you not try to do it again if you could? But if it's not that good, no, you don't waste time. So is it just, if it's a competitive fight, is just Mike or nobody else? Or is there somebody else that perhaps could peak your interest in getting back and doing this once again? Only Mike. I don't think nobody else can pay me enough to make me come back. It's too hard. You know how hard is me to get up every day and go right now? The only thing that's pushing me

right now is the fact that I know that I'm out here with a killer. And if I ain't in shape to survive, I'm going to get killed. So it's like if I ain't in shape to go out here and kill myself or survive what he's bringing at me, I'm dead meat. That's what's pushing me to get up every morning and do what I got to do. My body's dead tired right now from working, but I'm ready to go again because I know that if I don't, I'm in trouble. You understand what I'm in? But not many people make me feel that way. Everybody else, I'm like, ha, they might wait. What are they going to do to me? I mean, I get lucky hit you with a lucky punch of a knock. Gosh, that's not okay.

He did that before. So it's like anybody else, don't put a threat in my heart. This is a threat. This is my blood poppy. This makes me get up and go. Where would you put your conditioning level at this point? I know we're like seven weeks away from this fight, but we've seen all the photos of Mike.

He's dropped all that weight. He's ripped. And like many think he's in the best physical condition of his life right now heading into this fight. Where would you put your physical conditioning at this point? He looks like it. And I'm probably close to the second best physical condition that I've been in. And within this next seven weeks, I will be in the best physical condition that I've been in a while too.

So it's all good. So what's like a typical day by day process for you to get ready for this fight? Like you said you wake up early and you're getting the motions in. But what else are you doing to get ready for this fight from a physical sense? Well, of course, I'm in the gym every day. I'm doing, you know, machines and stuff to get my cardio up. I've got to be careful with the knees now because you don't want to ruin them. But I can't play basketball.

First time my career, first time ever in my life, that I'll sacrifice basketball for a boxing match. Can you believe that? I can't believe I'm saying that. I'm not playing no basketball to after the price so I can preserve my knees. Can you believe that? I can't believe those words are coming out of my mouth.

I'm not paying no. Zero basketball. What? Roy Jones, no basketball. He got to pay for that. He got to pay for that. How big of a sacrifice is that for you right now? No one is.

That's huge. That's the biggest sacrifice I probably ever made in boxing. No basketball. I couldn't dream of a day or anybody fighting that say I can't play basketball. That don't happen. Never. And for me, they have to do that now. But if I don't, my knees are going to be hurting.

I can't get away. And I got to be to get away because this ain't the guy you want to get caught by. Do you remember the last time you took this much time away from the court? I ain't ever did it. So this is a big sacrifice for you. This shows you how serious I have. Do you play every day? Well, pre-fight?

At least three times a week. At least three times a week. So no basketball. So you're going to have a little bit of a little bit of hunger in you to make Mike pay and then get back on the basketball court a couple days after that. Better believe it. I have to tell you, Roy, you broke a lot of, I'm in Massachusetts. You broke a lot of hearts several years ago when you fought Ruiz and you beat him.

That was a heartbreaking day for the Massachusetts. choose its natives. I understand. I don't do things to break heart. I do get people entertainment and to make history.

I wanted to just make history. It was nothing against Rouris, none against any Rory's fans, because without him accepting the fight,

I would never have a chance to do that. So I don't do it to break hearts. I do it to try to entertain people and to try to make history. That fight like this

fight was a fight that people thought, whoa, work can't beat this guy, he's too big. That was perfect because that's what I like. I like to be the

underdog, and I like what people tell me I can't do something. So it wasn't nothing personal against John Reese, nothing person against my fans in Massachusetts, nothing person against nobody that I wasn't trying to break hearts. I was only trying to give you entertainment and that you see that when God is for you,

we can be against you. I was a hot shot like 20-year-old kid when that fight happened. So if there's one heart you didn't break that night, and I don't think I've ever said this to anybody, even my friends who was watching it, I actually bet on you in that fight and you made me somebody. So even though you broke a lot of my friends' hearts, you didn't break mine at the end of the day

because you won me a couple of bucks. When they listen to this interview, you're going to break their hearts. My friends are going to be so bad. My friends are going to be so bad at me, man. So we're seven weeks away from this fight. You're getting ready. What's the, I'm not going to ask you for a prediction, but because it's an exhibition fight,

we don't know what's going to happen. Hammer nails, like you said. But what can fans expect on September 12th when you guys get in there and throw hands at each other? I'm excited for it. To me, expect that Mike's going to be dangerous the first two, maybe three rounds, even. It may be dangerous.

Actually, he's actually dangerous the whole night. But to me, his most formidable rounds would be rounds one, two, and three. My best round to be rounds six, seven, and eight. So what happens in four and five is probably going to be very interesting. Because if he can carry his load from one, two, and three, in the four and five, he'll get the advantage. But if I can take my six, seven, eight, and bring it down to round four and five, too, I'll have the advantage. So we'll see what happens. Do you have to watch tape of Mike?

Do you watch the sparring videos? Do you go back and watch any of his old fights? Or do you just have that knowledge that you've seen from him over the years, being a boxing guy, being in the sport, being a champion? You've seen Mike fight a million times at this point. I have knowledge, but you still don't do your homework because you never know what you're going to face. So you still got to do your homework.

You've got to treat it like it's a regular fight. You've got to do your homework so you know what you're up against because you don't get out of a strand or on the island and not be prepared for it. How's the movement right now? You've been known for your movement, your defense, your dodging, making people miss, making people get those arms tired as they swing at you, and you just maneuver out of the way in such a spectacular way.

How's the movement right now? It's coming back. It's really coming back. So when they say it's like riding a bike, would you agree with that? 100%. 100%. What's been the best part about this for you? Just the fact that God has blessed me and might with the opportunity to do what people never thought

we do, get an opportunity to perform to have a big fight in the social media era. Wow, what a blessing. I do want to ask you about island fights because, you know, you've been a big part of that and getting into the mixed martial arts world. With this COVID era, is there any plans on getting an event back on the books? What are you guys thinking on that? Right now, we probably think in September, because I think September will be the best time. And we've got to see what happens in November when it's been deadly because they're saying they're expecting

the second wave of COVID in November. So we got to try to get one in September and maybe even October if we can because we got to be prepared to shut down in November and December if that happens. And you guys are making some waves because we've seen a lot of your fighters get the call up to the UFC these days.

So how does that make you feel getting into the sport and providing these guys with a platform to get those life-changing opportunities? That's the biggest part of it for me to give guys a platform to get an opportunity to get that chance. That's the biggest thing for me. My thing is God, that's me. God used me as an instrument that you play this music through.

So as many people is, I can help. I think that's always a feathering my cat with God. So I always try to do things to have other people more so than myself. Are there some other guys in the roster that you feel are going to get that call sooner rather than later that stick out to you? There are a few, but Dean had to give you the name. because I don't do names very well, but there are a couple guys who I know are going to get the cars just a matter of time.

Well, that's a great thing. And for those people, Roy, who say that boxing has been struggling with MMA, I feel like boxing is in a really great place right now. We've seen some of the big heavyweight fights, and we've seen the numbers of those are doing, the gates that they're doing. So when people say that, I just don't agree with it,

that boxing is being suffocated by MMA right now. What is your thoughts on that as you're getting ready to come back and compete yourself? Once again, MMA media outlets are what's going to help us also sell this boxing event. So if they will put together good boxing events, I'm sure Dana White has no problem with him to promote them. He's offered his hand to help me promote this one.

I'm sure the MMA outlets would love to have things to talk about because they are MMA outlets, but they really deal in combat sports. Boxing and MMA are combat sports. So if it's a combat sport, they can interview on it too. You just got to have the audacity and have the nerve have the right conversation to be able to go on those sites and talk. They'll promote boxing just more MMA. The biggest fights we've had lately have been boxing and make fights combined.

So why would one not scratch the other's back? They're only going to help each other do better. So the better boxing does, the better MMA does. And we get two guys to rise to the top. People always want to see that clash to see what happened, whether it's a boxing match or an MMA match. You think about it. People talk about Roy Jones Union versus Anderson Silver

in a boxing match for years, even before the McGregor may with a fight happen. We wouldn't want to put it out in person. And unlike that fight, Everson has professional boxing experience. McGregor didn't. So this is much more of a competitive fight,

especially with us being older, because now, because he has experience, it's much easier for him to survive. He ain't got to deal with that young Tiger Roy Jones. He can deal with the older Roy Jones, which he may have a chance that didn't with because I'm much older than I once was. But that's still a big.

big event and it would have been an even big event and it happened back then. But as Mike's showing you now, never said never. Opportunity may come alone now. Who knows? So that fight with Anderson Silva is still somewhat on the table if the numbers and everything falls into place perfectly? Because he's a great friend of mine. He's a good person.

He doesn't speak good English, but he always wanted to make a fight. They just never allowed an opportunity to do it or they never had the right time to do it. So because we both gave our words that if we ever got the opportunity, we would. If the opportunity comes along, I'm sure that may be one of the other fights that I might entertain. Because I did give him my word that if the opportunity came, I would. So if I'm helping cool after this fight, he could get it. Well, a lot to be excited about. And I'll tell you what, you made some great points about getting boxers onto these outlets and having these conversations.

And when Dean texts you and says that Roy Jones Jr. is ready to talk to you now. you get on Skype and you talk to that man right now and that is what happened here. I appreciate the time very much. I know you're a very busy man. I'm really looking forward to this on September 12th. Roy Jones Jr. taking on Mike Tyson. This is unbelievable, Roy. Thank you for the time.

I appreciate it very much. Thank you, my brother. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.