Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 20, 1992 TAG: 9202200037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LIFE IN BOXING, A.T.
Is there heavyweight life after Mike Tyson?That question lingers in the aftermath of Tyson's trial in Indianapolis. The jury that found Tyson guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman last July, removed boxing's biggest marquee attraction from center stage with its verdict.
By doing so, it left it up to the undisputed heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield, and a pack of contenders to see whether they can fill the void that Tyson's absence is bound to leave.
The first crucial moment in heavyweight life-without-Tyson is expected to occur in May or June, when Holyfield figures to defend his title again.
But in the weeks ahead, talk about Tyson is likely to overshadow Holyfield's next move. As news of Tyson's guilt was circulated last week, some prominent people in boxing registered strong emotions.
"It's unfortunate," said Dan Duva, Holyfield's promoter, "because a lot of people in the boxing business saw it coming. Tyson's behavior has been getting more and more out of control. Unfortunately, this is what happened. I'm dumbfounded."
Many expressed compassion for Tyson.
"I think it's a tragedy," said Dennis Rappaport, the promoter of Tim Witherspoon and the former co-manager of Gerry Cooney. "A tragedy for the young lady and a tragedy for Tyson. I think he's been crying out for help for a long time. It wasn't the first episode. It wasn't the first time he's shown erratic behavior. This is a man who was in dire need of help."
Arnie Rosenthal, a West Coast boxing manager, said: "It's just too bad that the people who could get to him died one after the other and couldn't complete the positive things they had done for him."
Rosenthal was referring to Cus D'Amato, to whom Tyson was paroled from a juvenile detention facility in 1980. D'Amato trained Tyson, setting for him the goal of the heavyweight title. D'Amato died in November 1985, and his role as Tyson's father figure was taken over by Jim Jacobs, Tyson's co-manager. When Jacobs died in March 1988, a power struggle for control of Tyson's career ensued between promoter Don King and Bill Cayton, Tyson's co-manager. King eventually won that struggle.
"King's permissiveness went beyond permissiveness," said Cayton, whose contract with Tyson expires Wednesday. "I feel he pandered to, encouraged and played to Mike's weaknesses."
Holyfield's manager, Shelly Finkel, said he had spoken to the champion just after the verdict was announced.
"Evander's feeling was similar to mine," said Finkel. "And that was that if he did what he did, he deserves the punishment. I feel bad about it, but the way things were going with him, it had to end some way bad."
For Holyfield, the guilty verdict appears to have ended his chance for a career-defining bout against Tyson, a fight for which he had been guaranteed $30 million.
What's next for Holyfield?
On Feb. 14, Duva had a checklist of three men as possible opponents for the champion's next title defense, in the event that Tyson was found guilty. Those three were Riddick Bowe, George Foreman and Ray Mercer.
But when the 42-year-old former heavyweight champion, Larry Holmes, beat Mercer by decision that night, Duva's hit list dwindled by one.
"It's Bowe or Foreman," Duva said Sunday of Holyfield's next opponent. "Holmes? Not for Evander's next."
But Tuesday morning Duva said, "There's a possibility of Holmes."
Holyfield's title defense - be it against Bowe or Foreman or Holmes - is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Nev., at either Caesars Palace or The Mirage.
If Holyfield chooses to fight Bowe, that would set up a battle of geriatric wonders: the 42-year-old Holmes against the 43-year-old Foreman, assuming their promoter, Bob Arum, can get both to agree to the match.
If the fight is made, it would probably rival a Holyfield-Bowe match as a box-office attraction. Boxing insiders estimate that a Holyfield-Bowe fight would yield $25 million in guarantees to the fighters, with roughly $17 million going to the champion. The same sources figure that a Foreman-Holmes bout would be worth $20 million in guarantees to the principals. Foreman's adviser and brother, Roy, has gone on record as saying that Foreman would not allow Holmes parity on the $20 million.
"At least $12 million to George would be what it would take to get the fight on," Roy Foreman said Friday, at the news conference following Holmes's victory over Mercer.
While the old guys stand to get rich by fighting one another, the young-bloods in the division are - save for Bowe - starting to lose luster.
In October, Mercer exposed Tommy Morrison, by knocking him out in 4 rounds, only to be exposed by Holmes on Friday.
Earlier this month, undefeated young heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Michael Moorer headlined a Home Box Office card - Lewis against Levi Billups and Moorer against Mike "the Giant" White - and neither man was too impressive.
That leaves Donovan "Razor" Ruddock, the 28-year-old fighter who lost twice to Tyson last year but showed big-league moxie.