Farce or a fight? It's Tyson-Botha

LAS VEGAS - Some people who follow boxing believe that the heavyweight boxing bout between Mike Tyson and Francois Botha at the MGM Grand on Saturday night is nothing more than a carnival sideshow. They think that many of those who tune in on the pay-per-view telecast will do so only to see if Tyson will snap again and commit an even more flagrant foul than he did in his last bout against Evander Holyfield on June 28, 1997.

In that bout, Tyson bit both of Holyfield's ears, was disqualified and subsequently had his boxing license revoked. It was reinstated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Oct. 19.

Only the outcome of Tyson-Botha will determine whether it is a farce. But what is the impact of the bout on the heavyweight boxing picture?

"I don't think it's going to have any effect on the heavyweight division," said Lou DiBella, senior vice president of programming for HBO/TVKO.

DiBella's view may be clouded by the fact that his network has the pay-per-view for the heavyweight championship unification bout between Holyfield and Lennox Lewis scheduled for March 13.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen after Holyfield and Lewis," said the veteran trainer Lou Duva. "There's going to be an opening there for someone to take advantage of."

Holyfield has said if he wins the undisputed championship, he'll be satisfied. But recently he has said that he is willing to fight Tyson in a third bout if the price is right. However, in light of the Holyfield-Lewis unification bout Tyson-Botha is merely an exercise for Tyson to regain his viability in the division. It could be a long climb.

Even Tyson's next bout might not have any effect on the heavyweight division. If Tyson beats Botha, the plan is for him to fight either Brian Nielsen, Vaughn Bean, who went the distance with Holyfield before losing a unanimous decision last September, or Axel Schulz, whom Botha defeated for the International Boxing Federation championship in 1995. Botha was later stripped of that title because he tested positive for steroids after the bout.

Showtime, which will broadcast the Tyson-Botha bout on its pay-per-view arm, Showtime Entertainment Television, has signed Tyson to a four-fight deal. They are hoping that he displays some of the explosiveness that made him one of the top grossing pay-per-view attractions in television. Tyson-Holyfield II drew 1.9 million buyers, a pay-per-view record. Tyson has been involved in the top four all-time pay-per-view events.

Mark Greenberg, executive vice president of Showtime, believes that a great performance against Botha can catapult Tyson back into the heavyweight mix.

"Tyson needs to demonstrate that he's fit to fight again," Greenberg said. "If he demonstrates that he's the Mike Tyson of old, he's at the top of the list again."

And what will Tyson have to show in order for Greenberg to determine whether he is the Tyson of old?

"If Mike looks sharp, if he is in control of the fight in the ring, if he is connecting with a high percentage of his punches, then I think that will show that he's back," Greenberg said.

After the Holyfield-Lewis unification bout, it will be a while before Tyson gets a chance to fight for the title, particularly if Lewis wins. There will be mandatory bouts lined up for the winner of the unification bout. Although stranger things have happened, it seems unlikely that any of the boxing organizations would make Tyson a No. 1 contender at the expense of those boxers who are already there after only one fight against an opponent like Botha. But money changes everything in boxing.

A lot of the younger heavyweights are crowded at the top of the list and many will be in action during the first three months of the year. But there will always be room for Tyson. Tyson's handlers will be very careful who they put him in against, which means he won't be fighting any of the noteworthy young heavyweights anytime soon.

If Tyson loses to Botha, then Botha will figure into the mix. But not nearly as prominently as Tyson. Botha was the IBF's No. 1 contender, before he opted to fight Tyson.

A loss would not completely sink Tyson in the division. Greenberg believes a Tyson-Holyfield III is viable.

"From our research," Greenberg said, "we've determined that people would like to see that fight again, because they didn't get to see the fight they wanted to see."

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