IkeaBoy
02-19-2002, 01:10 PM
Tyson Granted License in D.C.
Tue Feb 19, 2:53 PM ET
By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON - Mike Tyson was granted a boxing license by the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission on Tuesday, setting the stage for a possible bout against Lennox Lewis at the MCI Center in June.
Audio/Video
Iron Mike's Vegas Fight Dreams KO'd (ABCNEWS.com)
The three-member commission approved the license by a 3-0 vote via conference call.
"To say we are not concerned about his past would be disingenuous," vice chairman Michael Brown said. "But we looked at the application on its face."
Tyson has been looking for a boxing body - in the United States or abroad - that would permit him to fight WBC-IBF heavyweight champ Lewis. The bout was originally scheduled for April 6 in Las Vegas, but Nevada officials denied Tyson a license after a melee with Lewis at a news conference last month.
"Main Events will start work on the feasibility of promoting a bout in Washington D.C.," said Gary Shaw, the chief operating officer of Main Events, Lewis' U.S. promoter.
Tyson's past also includes a three-year prison sentence for rape, a one-year sentence for a road rage assault and a one-year boxing suspension for biting Evander Holyfield's ears during a fight. Nevada police are currently investigating two sexual assault complaints against Tyson, although no charges have been filed.
With Nevada out of the picture, Tyson's supporters have searched the world for potential venues. California, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, England, Denmark and the Netherlands are just some of the sites that have been floated, most without success. Georgia, for example, fell out of the running the moment Gov. Roy Barnes referred to Tyson as a "sexual predator."
Washington Mayor Anthony Williams has said he would not object to Tyson's fighting in the district if the commission gave its approval. Both Williams and Brown cited the economic impact the fight would bring.
"Sept. 11 has changed a lot of things," Brown said. "A lot of hotel and restaurant people are out of work, and this fight would be helpful to the city."
[/quote]
"My review of 2001 the year is the same as my review of 2001: A Space Odyssey- overlong, hard to follow, and only enjoyable if you're really really stoned." - Lewis Black
"a single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic"- joseph stalin
Tue Feb 19, 2:53 PM ET
By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON - Mike Tyson was granted a boxing license by the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission on Tuesday, setting the stage for a possible bout against Lennox Lewis at the MCI Center in June.
Audio/Video
Iron Mike's Vegas Fight Dreams KO'd (ABCNEWS.com)
The three-member commission approved the license by a 3-0 vote via conference call.
"To say we are not concerned about his past would be disingenuous," vice chairman Michael Brown said. "But we looked at the application on its face."
Tyson has been looking for a boxing body - in the United States or abroad - that would permit him to fight WBC-IBF heavyweight champ Lewis. The bout was originally scheduled for April 6 in Las Vegas, but Nevada officials denied Tyson a license after a melee with Lewis at a news conference last month.
"Main Events will start work on the feasibility of promoting a bout in Washington D.C.," said Gary Shaw, the chief operating officer of Main Events, Lewis' U.S. promoter.
Tyson's past also includes a three-year prison sentence for rape, a one-year sentence for a road rage assault and a one-year boxing suspension for biting Evander Holyfield's ears during a fight. Nevada police are currently investigating two sexual assault complaints against Tyson, although no charges have been filed.
With Nevada out of the picture, Tyson's supporters have searched the world for potential venues. California, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, England, Denmark and the Netherlands are just some of the sites that have been floated, most without success. Georgia, for example, fell out of the running the moment Gov. Roy Barnes referred to Tyson as a "sexual predator."
Washington Mayor Anthony Williams has said he would not object to Tyson's fighting in the district if the commission gave its approval. Both Williams and Brown cited the economic impact the fight would bring.
"Sept. 11 has changed a lot of things," Brown said. "A lot of hotel and restaurant people are out of work, and this fight would be helpful to the city."
[/quote]
"My review of 2001 the year is the same as my review of 2001: A Space Odyssey- overlong, hard to follow, and only enjoyable if you're really really stoned." - Lewis Black
"a single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic"- joseph stalin