Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. both passed drug tests for last month's PPV boxing match
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. have both passed their respective fight-night drug tests in relation to their exhibition boxing match that took place last month.
Their matchup ended in a split draw. However, a large majority of fans and experts believe that Tyson did more than enough to secure a clear-cut decision win.
Mike Tyson looked extremely fit and muscular for his fight against Roy Jones Jr.
In the lead-up to the fight as well as after the bout, certain sections of the combat sports world were skeptical about the 54-year-old Mike Tyson passing the drug tests.
A notable reason behind people’s skepticism regarding Mike Tyson being PED-free is that the boxing legend appeared to be incredibly fit and was absolutely brilliant with his explosive movements inside the ring.
Tyson’s detractors claimed that he was able to be in that physical condition only because he utilized banned PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs).
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. have passed their drug tests
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi noted that as per CSAC (California State Athletic Commission) executive officer Andy Foster, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. have passed their fight-night drug tests that were administered by VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association).
Furthermore, Raimondi added that VADA does not test for cannabinoids (a type of chemical that's found in marijuana). Intriguingly, Mike Tyson had openly asserted that he’d smoked marijuana before his exhibition boxing match against Roy Jones Jr. During the post-fight press conference, Tyson stated –
"Listen, I can’t stop smoking…I smoked during fights. I just have to smoke, I’m sorry. I’m a smoker…I smoke every day. I never stopped smoking."
"It’s just who I am…It has no effect on me from a negative standpoint. It’s just what I do and how I am and how I’m going to die. There’s no explanation. There’s no beginning, there’s no end."
Additionally, addressing whether smoking marijuana helped improve his performance in the fight, Mike Tyson reiterated that it’s simply a habit of his. Tyson insinuated that marijuana wasn’t really used as a PED.
"No, it just numbs me. It doesn’t numb the pain" (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
The Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition boxing PPV event generated more than 1.6 million PPV buys. It’s the highest-selling combat sports PPV of the 2020 calendar year, surpassing both UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal and UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cerrone.
UFC 251 reportedly garnered more than 1.3 million PPV buys. On the other hand, Conor McGregor recently suggested that his PPV, UFC 246, generated more buys than UFC 251 and is the highest-selling MMA PPV of 2020.
Conor McGregor claimed that UFC 246 had done more than 1.3 million PPV buys. Regardless, Jorge Masvidal and his team have refuted McGregor’s claims. Masvidal and his team as well as several industry experts believe that UFC 251, and not McGregor’s event, is the best-selling MMA PPV this year.
Meanwhile, Mike Tyson has confirmed that he intends to continue competing in exhibition boxing matches for charity in the days to come.