Mike Tyson
News Updates
22nd January 2002
NEW YORK -- Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis
finally went at it Tuesday -- at a news conference, not in a ring.
Tyson threatens members of the media after the brawl broke out on stage.
Tyson charged the WBC and IBF heavyweight champion right after the start of
a conference called to announce their April 6 bout, and a brawl broke out on
stage at the Hudson Theater.
Neither fighter hit the other, but Tyson had a cut on his hairline after the swarm of bodies was pulled apart.
Tyson allegedly bit Lewis.
WBC president Jose Sulaiman was knocked down during the melee.
The news conference for Lewis' defense of his two belts against Tyson in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was called off. Lewis scheduled a meeting with reporters later Tuesday. Tyson left the building.
As for the April 6 fight, that's anbody's guess.
Tyson's adviser was in the process of getting the paperwork necessary to have the former champion licensed to fight in Nevada. That may turn into a waste of time after Tyson's display on Tuesday.
The Nevada Athletic Commission has every reason to believe Tyson may not be mentally fit to fight. The commission had scheduled a meeting for Jan. 29 to vote on whether to issue Tyson a license.
Of course, the last time Tyson fought for a title at the MGM Grand on June 28, 1997, he was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield's ears.
When asked if this incident could affect Tyson regaining his license to fight in his state, the Nevada commission's executive director, Marc Ratner, responded, "Everything could have a impact ... have to get all the tapes ... It doesn't help the situation. ..."
Tuesday's melee recalled when Lewis and Hasim Rahman exchanged words and chest bumps before wrestling on the floor during a TV interview in August. That was 2½ months before Lewis knocked out Rahman in a rematch to regain the heavyweight title.
On Tuesday, after video highlights of the two fighters' careers were shown, Tyson was introduced first.
He walked onstage dressed entirely in black, then faced the wing of the stage from which Lewis was to enter. When Lewis, dressed in a gray suit, stepped onto the stage, Tyson rushed him.
People jumped in to keep them apart and it appeared at least one person was hit by a punch. Then, for several minutes, bodies were rolling around and throwing punches until order was restored.
Tyson then strode to the front of the stage, threw his arms into the air in a triumphant stance and made an obscene gesture.
Someone in the audience shouted, "Put him in a straitjacket!"
The former undisputed heavyweight champion screamed an obscenity at the man and said, "You're scared of a real man."
Tyson, who is 49-3 with two no contests and 43 knockouts, had his eye on Lewis when he canceled his Jan. 19 fight with Ray Mercer.
The No. 1 contender to Lewis' WBC and IBF belts, Tyson last fought on Oct. 13, recording a seventh-round technical knockout of Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen.
Lewis is 39-2-1 with 30 knockouts.
Information from the Associated Press and SportsTicker was used in this report.
News Updates
October 2001
The November issue of the WWF magazine is hinting at a return of 'Iron' Mike Tyson at WrestleMania X-8. The Informer section of the WWF mag says that although no deal has been done, it's possible that Tyson will be at WM X-8 for some 'unfinished business'. This particular section on the magazine usually spreads 'lame' rumors and is 90% off target so don't get your hopes high about Tyson being involved.
Something interesting to take note of however
is that during a press conference after WM XIV in 1998, Tyson said that he enjoyed
working with the Federation and would like to return in the future. Tyson worked
a program with DX and at the end of the Austin/Michaels match, Tyson turned
on DX and ended up knocking down Michaels
with a punch. The Austin/Tyson confrontation on RAW which had Austin giving
Tyson the two middle finger salute got a lot of media attention and some free
advertising for the WWF.