Tyson's last stand: boxer ready to discover his fate

After returning to his dressing room following his disqualification loss to Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson punched the wall and shouted "It's over. I know it's over. My career is over."

The statement may prove prophetic.

But Saturday at Cashman Center near downtown Las Vegas, the troubled former heavyweight champion will attempt to reverse what he may have believed the night of June 28, 1997, when he twice bit Holyfield's ears during a bout at the MGM Grand Garden. He and a handful of witnesses who will speak on his behalf will lobby for Tyson to have his boxing license reinstated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The NSAC pulled Tyson's license and fined him $3 million following the Holyfield fight.

"The hearing will be fair and it'll be impartial," said NSAC executive director Marc Ratner. "It'll also be interesting."

Tyson, 32, will be greeted by both supporters and detractors as he arrives at Cashman for the 9 a.m. hearing that will be broadcast live on Las Vegas 1.

"We're holding an 8 a.m. rally on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Cashman entrance," said Anne Golonka, the president of the Southern Nevada branch of the National Organization for Women. NOW has opposed Tyson participating in boxing since he was released from prison in 1995 following a sexual-assault charge in Indianapolis three years earlier.

"I'm a realist," Golonka said. "I know how much money is on the table. But this is a man who has been involved in a series of out-of-control activities, and it'll be a black eye for the state of Nevada if the commission gives in.

"They need to do what's right and make the hard decision to keep him out of the sport. We feel very strongly about this."

Majority will rule after the five-man commission hears from Tyson and from the scheduled witnesses.

Among those speaking on Tyson's behalf will be Dr. Carlos Fontanez, a Denver-based psychotherapist who met with Tyson several times in the past two weeks. Fontanez has declined public comment to date but will address the NSAC.

Tyson spent a reported 10 days in the Denver area and may train there for future fights if his license is reinstated, said one of his advisers, Shelly Finkel.

Finkel and Tyson spent part of Thursday afternoon at a World Boxing Council luncheon at Caesars Palace. Perhaps in an effort to boost his client's case, Finkel ducked outside for several minutes for a one-on-one conversation with Ratner.

Approximately 300 media credentials were issued for the hearing. The NSAC has hired 10 off-duty Metro Police officers for security.

"People need to be aware of the possibility that perhaps the commission won't make its decision Saturday," Ratner said. "There may be reason for a delay."

If there is a delay, it likely will be the result of the NSAC electing to wait until Tyson's Oct. 2 court date in Gaithersburg, Md., where he will answer questions regarding an Aug. 31 traffic accident that led to two men filing separate assault charges against Tyson.

The men, ages 50 and 62, maintain Tyson physically assaulted them after a car driven by Tyson's wife, Monica Turner, was involved in a three-car collision; the 50-year-old claims he was kicked in the groin, while the 62-year-old says he was punched in the face.

"I did not kick anyone. I did not punch anyone," Tyson said in a statement through an attorney, John Branca. "I am distressed by these false accusations. I did not touch anyone."

Tyson runs the risk of having his probation from Marion (Ind.) County revoked as the result of his Maryland confrontations.

These and other issues will be discussed at Saturday's hearing, which is open to the public although there will be no public comment period, Ratner said.

"You just can't come in and stand up and talk," he said.

NSAC chairman Dr. Elias Ghanem said "I'm pretty sure it's going to be a very tough hearing, only because of what has happened recently. It all has to come into play.

"The whole issue is his temper and his self-control."

In addition to the traffic altercation, in the past month Tyson has been cited by the city of Farmington, Conn., for delinquent property taxes, had a $6.3 million lien put on his Connecticut home by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to pay back taxes, and swore in front of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. Tyson appeared before the New Jersey regulatory body in an effort to have his license reistated there, although he withdrew that request after the hearing was held and before a decision was reached.

Tyson, who has been a participant in seven of the top 10 pay-per-view boxing events of all time, owns homes in four cities, including Las Vegas. It has also been reported he has purchased 110 automobiles and millions of dollars in jewelry.

Since his return to boxing following his three-year prison stay in Indianapolis, Tyson fought six times and earned approximately $100 million. He was paid $30 million for each of two fights with Holyfield, both of which he lost.

His professional boxing record is 45-3.

"I don't have the slightest idea whether he'll get his license back," said his former promoter, Don King. "But I'd like to see him get his license back."

Looking to sever his ties with King, Tyson filed a $100 million lawsuit against him charging malfeasance. King maintains he still has a contractual agreement with Tyson, although Tyson claims he does not.

An impartial yet high-profile observer in Las Vegas, WBC welterweight champ Oscar De La Hoya, said he's not sure if Tyson should be relicensed.

"What he did was a low blow for the sport of boxing," De La Hoya said. "It's going to be a tough decision for the commission. Boxing sometimes needs Mike Tyson, but, then again, his attitude outside the ring is not good for the sport.

"The pressure's going to be on him to show he's ready to return."

Ratner agreed, saying "the onus is on Mike and his people."

If his request for a license is denied, Tyson cannot reapply until Sept. 19, 1999. If that's the case, he knows he has only himself to blame.

"For as long as I live, I will regret what happened that night (with Holyfield)," he said. "But I can't change anything. I can only hope I get another chance."

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