CDIH

<font size="3">Tyson media circus takes center stage</font>
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Mike Tyson couldn't wait.

Tyson and Lennox Lewis threw punches in a melee that abruptly halted a news conference Tuesday to announce their heavyweight title fight in April.


Tyson threw a left hook and a Lewis bodyguard went down, although it wasn't clear if Tyson connected. Lewis' overhand right apparently glanced off the top of Tyson's head, and Tyson had a cut at his hairline.


Tyson threatens members of the media after the brawl broke out on stage.


The fight, scheduled for April 6 in Las Vegas, must be licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which fined Tyson $3 million and revoked his license after he bit Evander Holyfield's ears in 1997. Tyson's license later was restored, but it has since expired and the commission will hold a hearing Jan. 29 on Tyson's request to grant him another one.


Asked if what happened Tuesday might keep the fight from happening, Tyson adviser Shelly Finkel said: "It didn't help."

Luther Mack, the chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is one of the five commissioners who would vote on whether or not to grant Tyson a license. Mack had not seen Tuesday's incident, but hopes to look at it Wednesday.

"The Commission will ask Tyson to attend any hearing where he would be applying for a new license. The commissioners would want to ask him questions, based on his recent actions," Mack said. "The Commission could conditionally issue him a license pending the outcome of the police investigation and whether or not the District Attorney indicts Tyson."


Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada body, said there should have been better security at the New York news conference.


"I thought it was completely regrettable," Ratner said. "They had an incident when it didn't need to happen.


"Why nobody wasn't there to stop it is beyond my comprehension," he said.


The news conference began when Tyson, wearing all black, including a leather hat, was introduced first. He strode onstage at the Hudson Theater, and then stared in the direction of where Lewis was supposed to appear. When the champion walked out, Tyson walked quickly toward him.


A Lewis bodyguard pushed Tyson and then touched him again. Tyson then threw the left hook and Lewis threw the right.


The two fighters then rolled briefly on the stage, which suddenly was filled with jumping, falling bodies and flying fists.


After things quieted down, Tyson walked to the front of the stage, and thrust his arms in the air in triumph, then grabbed his crotch.


Someone shouted, "Put him in a straitjacket." Tyson then gestured at the man and cursed him.


When it was over, WBC president Jose Sulaiman was holding his jaw and neck. "I blacked out for a few moments," he said.


Tyson later issued a statement explaining what happened.


"My motivation for approaching Lennox was to stage a face off, which I was told both camps had agreed to," Tyson said. "It was Lennox's bodyguard who panicked and shoved me. Lennox then threw a right. I was here to promote the fight, not be intimidated. I will never be intimidated by anyone, and Lennox will pay in April."


It was announced Lewis would meet with the media later, but instead he sent business agent Adrian Ogun to read a statement from the WBC-IBF heavyweight champion.


"As a result of today's events, I will re-evaluate my options after the relevant boxing commission has ruled," the statement said.


After the news conference was canceled, Tyson strolled around the block, stopping to sign autographs. A few women kissed him.


Tuesday's fracas recalled the scene when Lewis and Hasim Rahman exchanged words and chest bumps before wrestling on the floor during a TV interview in August. That was 2{ months before Lewis knocked out Rahman in a rematch to regain the heavyweight title.


In Las Vegas, meanwhile, police investigators found evidence they contend backs up a woman's claim she was raped by Tyson, although charges have not been filed against the former heavyweight champion.


"We think there's probable cause to believe a crime occurred," said police Lt. Jeff Carlson, commander of the sex crimes unit.


"We're not the attorneys. It's their decision whether to prosecute."


Results of the four-month investigation were given Tuesday to the office of Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell.


Chermaine Gord, a spokeswoman for Bell, said prosecutors needed more time to review the information before making a decision on whether to file sexual assault charges against Tyson, who served three years in an Indiana prison for a 1992 rape conviction

STAGED

This was one of two possible things....

1) Totaly fuckin staged!

or

2) Tyson knew he can't fight in Vegas and wanted a way out of the fight because he is nothing but a chump now!

plus, jail time is looming for the fuckin animal again.

The possibility of it being staged would have to be thrown out the window if the fight is now cancelled. Staging it would be for the purpose of hyping the fight, if theres no fight to be had, whats the sense of staging it?

If the fight goes thru, which I think it still will, i would certainly lean towards it in fact being staged.

Theres no question about one thing, Tyson is a fucking loon.

Looks like someone forgot to take the zoloft.


Did anyone catch this?

Quote:A few women kissed him.

Women are truley crazy!

as crazy as he is, i know a few women here in my office that find him attractive. i don't see it myself, but hey...

and did anyone hear that he "may have bitten lenox on the leg"... i heard it on one news report, but only the one...

Once again this one unlike the rahman and lewis debacle was not staged. This was not a little hugging and grabbing malay. This was fists flying hatred, there were numerous injuries. The president of the World Boxing Council suffered a concussion, tyson suffered a cut and the bodyguards suffered several injuries. Lewis was immediately rushed away from the scene, if you are hyping it up you don't rush away one of the partcicpants.

Tyson said that he was to approach lewis and they would stare eachother down. The bodyguard you could see lost his cool. But then again tyson is not a man whose thought process can easily be understood by any means. He still has to apply for the permit next week, so we'll see what happens.

supposedly tyson did bite lewis' leg, but tyson's bnody guard said lewis coulda done it to himself

<font size="3">Tyson: 'I will let my boxing talk for me'</font>
Associated Press


NEW YORK -- Saying he's not "Mr. Politically Correct," Mike Tyson made an apology of sorts Wednesday for his part in a news conference melee that could deny him a license to challenge Lennox Lewis.


"I'm a boxer, and from now on, I will let my boxing talk for me," Tyson said in a statement.

He did not comment on whether he bit Lewis' left leg in the brawl at the Hudson Theater on Tuesday. A source close to Lewis' camp, who asked not to be identified, said Tyson did bite the WBC-IBF champion.


Lewis and his advisers declined to talk about it.


"It (the melee) is under investigation by the Nevada commission," said Gary Shaw, chief operating officer of Main Events, the American promoter of the champion from Britain.


The Nevada State Athletic Commission is scheduled to consider Tyson's application for a license on Jan. 29. It was the Nevada commission that fined Tyson $3 million and revoked his license after he bit Evander Holyfield's ears in 1997.


Tyson got a license a year later, but it lapsed in 1999.


"There was obviously a miscommunication between our camps with regards to the face-off, and chaos broke out," Tyson said, explaining how the brawl began.


Apparently, each man was to come on stage upon being introduced and stop on a small platform, which were not close to one another. They were to turn and stare at one another.


Tyson was introduced first. After Lewis got up on his platform, Tyson walked toward him, claiming he was going to engage in a staredown.


When he got close, he was pushed by Lewis' bodyguard and threw a punch at the man. Lewis threw a right hand that grazed Tyson's head and suddenly people were pushing, shoving and rolling around onstage.


"After our skirmish, I was provoked by a member of the audience who was shouting obscenities at me and I defended myself as I saw fit. In the process, things that I said may have offended members of the audience. To these people, I offer my apologies."


After a semblance of order was restored, Tyson threw up his arms in triumph and made an obscene gesture. Then he became enraged and shouted vulgar abuse at a man who had yelled, "Put him in straitjacket."


"I came to New York to promote a fight that I want and boxing fans want to see," Tyson concluded in his statement. "I am not a role model or Mr. Politically Correct. I am a boxer, and from now on I will let my boxing talk for me."


During the fracas, Tyson was cut on his hairline, while WBC president Jose Sulaiman sustained a concussion when he hit his head on a table.


Sulaiman was treated at a hospital and attended a news conference Wednesday for Shane Mosley's WBC welterweight title defense against Vernon Forrest Saturday night in The Theater at Madison Square Garden.


another story.....

LONDON -- An English bookmaker has taken more bets on Mike Tyson being disqualified if he fights Lennox Lewis than for either heavyweight to win the fight.

The bookmaker William Hill cut the odds Wednesday on a Tyson disqualification from 6-1 to 4-1. William Hill has Lewis at 4-9 to win the fight and Tyson at 13-8.

"Those punters who are prepared to bet on the fight at this time are choosing to bet on a disqualification rather than one or the other winning," spokesman Graham Shapre said.

The future of the fight was thrown into doubt Tuesday when a brawl broke out as Tyson and Lewis exchanged punches during a news conference in New York to announce the April 6 title fight in Las Vegas.

Tyson is awaiting a license to fight in Nevada and must explain to boxing authorities there next week why he went after Lewis. Also, Las Vegas police said they found evidence supporting a woman's claim she was raped by Tyson.

holy crap, conon was talking about this and i was certain it was a joke, what a freak.

Rape Fantasizer Wrote:holy crap, conon was talking about this and i was certain it was a joke, what a freak.

Let me say this, RF, this guy is the last guy you could possibly want to meet in an alley at any time. But, then again, it might be right up your alley.

I wonder what is going to come first, Tyson's hearing in front of The Neveda Boxing Comission or formal charges for rape in the same state. Talk about shitting where you eat.

tyson needs more of that zoloft