Tyson fight in Nashville?
Miss Sharon Cobb
Well, I live in Nashville, and thought you all might like to see the lead story
from our main paper. So, y'all going to go to the fight with me if this
happens?
Best,
Sharon
Mike Tyson
By JOE BIDDLE
Staff Writer
Tennessee's top boxing official said yesterday that he would consider granting
Mike Tyson a license to box if the former heavyweight champion were to apply
for a title fight here against Lennox Lewis.
Nashville is one of six cities being considered as sites for a heavyweight
title match between Tyson and Lewis, according to Rex Walker, the World Boxing
Council's international secretary.
Tennessee is thought to be among a handful of states that would consider
granting Tyson a boxing license despite his past behavior, which includes
arrests and jail time.
The decision to grant a Tennessee license rests with Stephanie Shivers,
assistant director of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, and Tommy
Patrick, who is state director for the boxing and automobile racing
commissions.
Patrick said Tyson had not applied for a license to box in Tennessee but that
state rules contained no provisions for past felonies that would prohibit Tyson
from obtaining a license if he met all other requirements.
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''There's going to be some criticism if they give the license to Tyson because
of his history,'' Walker said. ''Tennessee needs to accept that or not do it.''
Brian Young, a local boxing promoter with Prize Fight, said yesterday that he
was leading a contingent of investors trying to secure the fight for Nashville.
Young declined to name the investors, who he said were willing to put up
millions of dollars to land the bout. Young has a reputation of promoting
midsize matches around the central part of the country.
Young says he thinks that Dallas is the front-runner, with San Antonio,
Houston, Los Angeles and Detroit also in the mix with Nashville. Atlanta has
also been mentioned as a site by Lewis' promoter, Gary Shaw, but it was not
among the six cities specified by Walker.
Texas has four possible venues for the fight — San Antonio's Alamodome;
American Airlines Center and Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas; and Houston's
Astrodome, Walker noted. Tyson has applied for a license to box in Texas, but
as of yesterday he had not been granted one.
''I think Texas is the first choice, but if it doesn't work out there, I think
they would probably turn to Nashville,'' Young said.
Walker says he thinks Nashville is a viable option, provided Tennessee is
willing to grant Tyson the required license. Tyson was recently denied a boxing
license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the Association of Boxing
Commissions has recommended that other states follow Nevada's lead.
''Our first position is that Mr. Tyson does not have a license to box in this
state, nor has he applied for a license,'' said Marilyn Elam, communications
director for Tennessee's boxing regulatory group. ''It's impossible to
speculate until we see the application what might result from that. Once we
have an application, it will be evaluated based on Tennessee's laws and rules
regarding boxing.''
Where and when they could put on a fight in Nashville would be in question. The
fight was originally scheduled for April 6 in Las Vegas, but since Tyson was
denied a boxing license in Nevada, promoters are seeking a new location and
possibly a new date.
The two logical venues in Nashville would be Adelphia Coliseum, which could
hold more than 80,000 for a non-football event, and Gaylord Entertainment
Center, which could seat about 17,000 for boxing.
Two future dates have been penciled in by the Tyson-Lewis promoters. April 13
is one, but the Gaylord has Disney On Ice booked. The second date is June 8,
which is available at the Gaylord. Adelphia Coliseum is open except for the
Country Music Marathon on April 27 and country music's Fan Fair June 13-16.
Young said he talked yesterday with Shelly Finkel, Tyson's manager. Young said
Finkel indicated that any profits to be made in Nashville would come from
ticket sales. The promoters will not share pay-per-view television revenue,
which is expected to bring in untold millions for the fighters and the
promoters.
Based on 17,000 seats at the Gaylord, Young said, the average ticket would be
$588. Young said ringside seats would be $2,000 to $2,500.
Titans President Jeff Diamond said he and Young had a brief discussion
yesterday about the possibility of having the bout at Adelphia Coliseum. He
termed the conversation ''very preliminary.''
''We'll keep talking and see where it goes,'' Diamond said.
Russ Simons, executive director of the Gaylord, said yesterday that he had not
been contacted about holding a possible fight.
Walker predicted such a fight would be remembered as one of the sport's
most-talked-about events.
''I think the fight will take place unless something happens that Tyson is
unable to appear at the fight. I think there is some reluctance on some people
because there are some unsettled questions concerning the availability of
Tyson,'' Walker said yesterday from Texas.
''It could be the largest-watched fight in the history of boxing. I think
economically it will be one of the largest fights, if not the largest. It would
absolutely put Nashville, Tennessee, on the map. Everybody in the world will
know where Nashville is.''
Tyson's promising career — he was the youngest-ever heavyweight champion at
age 20 — has been blighted by scandal. The 35-year-old two-time champion was
convicted in the 1992 rape of a Miss Black America contestant. He was released
in 1995 after serving half his sentence but jailed again in 1998 for assaulting
two motorists.
Tyson has been involved in numerous controversies in the ring. He was banned
for a year in 1997 after biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear in a
title fight. Recently, he was accused of biting off a piece of Lewis' thigh in
a brawl before a news conference promoting their upcoming fight.
If Tennessee were to land the fight, it would mark the second time Nashville
was scheduled to put on a bout involving Lewis, the WBC-IBF heavyweight
champion. A fight between Oliver McCall and Lewis was set for January 1997 by
flamboyant promoter Don King. But the match was moved to Las Vegas a month
later, and Lewis won by a technical knockout.
The fight that was eventually held at the Gaylord on Jan. 11, 1997, was a card
that included Terry Norris, Felix Trinidad, Deirdre Gogarty, an upset victory
by Khalid Rahilou and a unanimous decision by World Boxing Organization
heavyweight champion Henry Akinwande. The boxing marathon was the first
sporting event ever held at the Gaylord.
boymayo.at.boxingchronicle.com
Lewis-Tyson. Sure, Nashville might license Tyson... but is there any venue in
the state of Tenn that is going to cough up $10-$15 million for a site fee to
attract the promotion? NO!
.....BoyMayo
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http://www.boxingchronicle.com
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The Sanity Cruzer
news:20020210202859...@mb-cs.aol.com...
> This is so ridiculous, as are most of the reports of potential sites for
> Lewis-Tyson. Sure, Nashville might license Tyson... but is there any
venue in
> the state of Tenn that is going to cough up $10-$15 million for a site fee
to
> attract the promotion? NO!
If every Billy Joe Bob in Tennessee chipped in $0.83, they could cover that
and more.
Bobby Bedridden
"The Sanity Cruzer" <sanity...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:a4771n$403$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net...
NoLiMiT SoLDiEr
know texas dont care what tyson does in the ring as long as he entertains
the crowed like the 2001 wrestlemania h town down south baby baby fight in
texas big mike tyson and do what you want cuz down south does it swisha
style
"Miss Sharon Cobb" <misssha...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020210162747...@mb-fh.aol.com...
at
> age 20 - has been blighted by scandal. The 35-year-old two-time champion
SkippyPB
<sanity...@earthlink.net> enlightened us:
Tennessee has been able to have a pro football team (Titans) and pro
basketball team (Grizzlies) and a pro hockey team (Predators)
relocate to their fine state, so there must be investors with money in
the state. I'd guess, having been to Nashville a few times, that
there are several venues that could host such a fight and investors to
put up the money.
Regards,
////
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