Columnist Dean Juipe: Tyson loses cool again, cuts his apology short

DEAN JUIPE is a Las Vegas Sun sportswriter. His office phone number is 259-4084. He can be reached on the Internet at [email protected]

Everything was going fine until it came time for Mike Tyson to read from a prepared statement.

"I don't want to say it now because I'm angry," he blurted out in front of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, referring to an apology he was expected to deliver. As if that reluctance wasn't damaging enough, Tyson then compounded his troubles when he tacked on the following line: "You know what I mean, man? Why do I go through this f---ing all the time?"

Tyson, appearing before the board in Trenton on Wednesday in an effort to regain his boxing license, did himself no favors with his distasteful remark. But it's unclear how, if at all, his actions will affect the New Jersey commission's decision when it comes time to review Tyson's application, which it said it will do during an executive session next Thursday.

"It looks like he's put New Jersey in a tough position," said Dr. Elias Ghanem, the chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. "It seems to me they're in an even tougher spot than they were before."

Tyson, 32, spent much of the hearing in Trenton listening to plaudits delivered by such handpicked orators as Bobby Czyz and Chuck Wepner. They, however, have no connection to Tyson aside from the fact they live in New Jersey and the hearing was being held there.

When it came time for Tyson to speak for himself he initially choked back tears and said "this ordeal ruined my life." After regaining his composure and appearing contrite, he failed to deliver his written apology on cue from attorney Anthony Fusco Jr.

"You're seeing a guy ripped apart," Fusco said later.

Going against the wishes of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Tyson was reapplying for a license that the NSAC revoked last year. The fact that he took his appeal to New Jersey, as well as the fact the New Jersey commission agreed to hear it, still bothers Ghanem.

"I don't understand their tactics," he said of Tyson and adviser Shelly Finkel opting for New Jersey in spite of the complications that were sure to follow. "His license was revoked in Nevada and he should reapply in Nevada. I don't know why they said we wouldn't give them a fair hearing when we've always been fair with everybody.

"If his people were smart, they would have applied out here first."

Ghanem also said when and if Tyson needs to be licensed in Nevada, he will have to make an appearance before the commission.

"He still has to appear in front of us," he said. "But once he does that, we'll make our decision on the spot."

With the New Jersey commission still weighing its options, Ghanem made what might be termed a last-ditch appeal.

"They can still defer to us," he said. "To be honest, that's what they should have done the day Tyson applied there. But it's still not too late."

Orleans card

With a Bam Promotions spokesman saying "we didn't want to get in the middle of a contract dispute," Justin Juuko is out as the headliner for Friday's Bam card at The Orleans. Juuko, 32-1-1, is a Las Vegan who has not fought here since 1993, as the majority of his bouts have been in Europe. He was to have faced Hector Arroyo in a 10-round junior lightweight fight but that was called off as Juuko has signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank.

But even with Juuko sidelined there are four local fighters on the card, including former Olympic bronze medalist Miguel Jiminez. He's 12-0 as a pro and will face Charles Davis, 6-3-1, in a six-round fight at 175 pounds.

Also scheduled: Tarick Salmaci, 16-0, vs. Kit Munro, 8-2, 10 rounds, super middleweights; Travis Simms, 4-0, vs. Richard Gonzalez, 1-1-1, four rounds, junior middleweights; Tarvis Simms, 3-0, vs. Tommy Alaniz, 0-3, four rounds, junior middleweights; Friday Ahunanya, 5-0, vs. Jimmy Lester, 6-3, four rounds, heavyweights; Mervyn Penniston-John, 8-1, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, six rounds, light heavyweights; and Blaise Soares, 7-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, four rounds, junior welterweights.

Ahunanya, Penniston-John and Soares all live in Las Vegas.

Mirage card

It's $100 for general admission, with proceeds benefitting the NAACP, as The Mirage hosts a Sunday evening card that offers five bouts.

Unfortunately, the scheduled main event between light heavyweights Montel Griffin and Rocky Gannon fell through this week. The card as it was structured Wednesday includes: Danny Romero, 33-2, vs. Jose Luna, 12-7, 10 rounds, bantamweights; Mike McCallum, 49-5-1, vs. Rudy Nix, 18-3-2, 12 rounds, cruiserweights; Roger Mayweather, 57-12, vs. Enrique Sanchez, 11-7, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Sammy Stewart, 15-11-3, vs. Manuel Martinez, 39-15-1, 10 rounds, flyweights; and Sergio Sanchez, 12-2, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, six rounds, super bantamweights. First bell is 5 p.m.

"I guess I'm worried about almost anybody," Mayweather said of not having fought since March of 1997. "But it's a good fight for me and I'm glad to be part of the show."

Mayweather and McCallum are Las Vegas residents.

Koch's death

A Saginaw County (Mich.) Sheriff's Dept. autopsy on the body of Cody Koch reached the conclusion the heavyweight fighter "did not die of natural causes" when he passed away early Sunday morning. Koch, ironically, died one day after his 26th birthday.

He was scheduled to fight at the Tropicana hotel in Las Vegas on Aug. 22.

Koch, 24-2 but the loser in his two most recent fights, was found dead outside a bar in Saginaw County. Initial wire reports indicated he was denied re-entry to the Shooter's Bar in Shields, Mich., and that he died there. But additional information surfaced Wednesday that indicated Koch died outside another bar about one mile away from Shooter's.

"The family's being kind of quiet right now, which is understandable," said Las Vegan Wes Wolfe, a friend of the Kochs. Wolfe said Koch's body was being transported to his home in Anchorage, Alaska, and that a public viewing would be held Saturday with the burial on Sunday.

Koch's biggest payday was $50,000 for winning a Toughman competition prior to concentrating on boxing.

He is survived by his estranged wife, Michelle, who told the Associated Press "I still can't believe it. I keep thinking he's going to walk through the door."

Around the ring

Last month, Las Vegas lightweight James Crayton appeared to be in line for a shot at the vacant NABF title. Later, however, he was bumped from a proposed July 26 card in Connecticut, although, later still, he was brought in as a last-minute replacement to fight Golden Johnson for the NABF belt. Obviously hindered by the short notice, Crayton lost a decision to Johnson last Saturday. The judges had Johnson winning by 4, 4 and 3 points in a fight in which Johnson landed 50 percent of his punches while Crayton connected on only 29 percent. ... Count HBO's Lou DiBella among those unhappy with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum when it comes to matching Oscar De La Hoya with the finest welterweights in the world. "I honestly believe Oscar wants to fight the best fighters possible, but the problem is his promoter," said DiBella, who called the Sun Wednesday to voice his displeasure with Arum. "I know Arum had Ike Quartey right there waiting for him to make a firm offer, but he wouldn't do it in spite of what he might tell you." DiBella said he was satisfied with HBO televising De La Hoya fights with prospective opponents like Frankie Randall and Oba Carr, but that the WBC champion's pay-per-view bouts should offer a higher caliber opponent than Sept. 18 whipping boy Julio Cesar Chavez. ... That Sept. 18 undercard is now official and is topped by the IBF junior middleweight title fight between Yory Boy Campas, 71-2, and Larry Barnes, 44-2. Local featherweight Augie Sanchez has been added to that card and to another Top Rank show Oct. 3 in Las Vegas. Sanchez had been complaining about a lack of fights.

IBF junior welterweight champion Vince Phillips of Las Vegas has had his Aug. 6 defense with Hector Quiroz put off indefinitely, as he continues to be bothered by knee problems. Replacing Phillips and Quiroz on that ESPN-televised card from Louisiana will be cruiserweights Orlin Norris and Nate Miller. ... Another injured fighter, Jorge Paez, is off the Tropicana's Aug. 22 card and a new main event is in place with featherweights Juan Manuel Marquez and Luiz Freitas. Marquez, 25-1, and Freitas, 13-1, will headline a card that will also include heavyweight Ed Mahone. ... No official word yet but Johnny Tapia fights Aug. 29 at the Las Vegas Hilton with the likely opponent Carlos Hernandez. It will be a nontitle fight for Tapia, 43-0-2, the IBF junior bantamweight champion. Hernandez, 14-4, was to have been his opponent June 6 in New York until that card was called off. "I'd like to fight Hernandez because I know what his style is," said Tapia, who has a home in Las Vegas. ... Juan Jose Arias won last Saturday's junior welterweight main event at Club Cal-Neva in Reno, defeating Jose Montes by third-round knockout. ... Cruiserweight John McClain of Las Vegas improved to 23-6-2 with a victory over Italy's Marco Guidelli in Guatalle, Italy. ... Former four-time world champion Pernell Whitaker was convicted of reckless driving earlier this week in Virginia Beach, Va. Whitaker, who said he would appeal his two-day jail sentence, has had four moving violations since 1996. He is currently suspended from boxing for testing positive for cocaine.

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