MIKE TYSON has has hailed reports of record pre-fight PPV sales for his fight with Roy Jones Jr – and used it to hit out at ‘haters’ against his return.
The heavyweight legend steps back into the ring on Saturday night at the age of 54, to face his 51-year-old opponent.
Mike Tyson steps back into the ring to face Roy Jones Jr this weekendCredit: AP:Associated Press
Some have criticised the fight due to the fighters’ age and the fact that Tyson, in particular, has not boxed in over 15 years.
But Iron Mike took to Twitter to slam his critics with a screenshot of a Yahoo! report on the fight’s financial success.
He wrote: “Numbers don’t lie.
“Haters are mad they can’t get numbers like this.
“Saturday is reckoning. Roy Jones Jr you better be ready.”
The report detailed how Tyson vs Jones Jr had broken pre-fight sales records for digital pay-per-view purchases.
Over 300 crew members are working on delivering the behind-closed-doors event, which takes place in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
A hefty undercard features YouTuber Jake Paul’s fight with former NBA star Nate Robinson and James DeGale’s former nemesis Badou Jack.
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Ne-Yo are among the musicians due to perform in between contests.
Yet, critics include promoter Frank Warren, who has described the veterans’ showdown as ‘sad’.
And UFC boss Dana White burst into laughter at a press conference when discussing the no-knockout rules of the fight.
US companies Triller and FITE are handling the production and believe the holiday occasion, with the fight taking place over Thanksgiving, will provide a further sales boost.
Michael Weber, COO for FITE, said: “FITE is excited to be a part of this pop cultural event with Triller’s Tyson vs. Jones fight.
“Currently, our advance sales for this event will make this the most watched event in our five-year history of streaming live sporting events.
“Our partners are also reporting advance sales that will put it on par with other top UFC and boxing events in the past few years.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
