Opinion split on Tyson's chances with board

"Iron" Mike Tyson, the most notorious heavyweight in recent boxing history, may well learn on Tuesday that even in Las Vegas, where almost everything has a price, his credit has run out.

One day before Nevada State Athletic Commissioners were scheduled to consider Tyson's bid for a license to fight world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, opinion appeared split over his chances on Monday.

Tyson must face the commission exactly one week after triggering a wild brawl at a press conference in New York to promote the April 6 bout against Lewis, the reigning World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation champion.

The American, whose life has been dogged by scandal in and out of the ring, will also appear at the hearing as Las Vegas prosecutors weigh sexual assault charges against Tyson stemming from the accusations of a local woman.

He was convicted in 1992 of raping a Miss Black America contestant and spent three years in an Indiana prison.

The five commissioners who will vote on Tyson's boxing future in the state have said they were keeping open minds until the hearing. In the past, they were thought reluctant to stop a match that could fill local coffers with millions of dollars.

Sig Rogich, a high-profile Las Vegas political and business consultant who served on the Athletic Commission in the 1980s, told Reuters that he saw Tyson's most recent scrapes, along with his checkered history in and out of the ring, as a serious obstacle for the 35-year-old fighter.

"I'd be hard pressed to vote for someone who has his history of trouble," Rogich said.

MONEY TALKS

Others think the state has too much riding on Tyson to turn him down, and they note that the commissioners would not be unprecedented in going against the tide.

"Historically, the state of Nevada has hosted boxing matches that other states couldn't or wouldn't," said David Schwartz, a historian and coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"Nevada has never been a state that has followed the lead of other states. In fact, it has excelled in profiting from other states' reluctance to license boxing, grant uncomplicated divorces before the 1960s and permit casino gaming before the 1970s," Schwartz said.

"So licensing Tyson -- if the Athletic Commission does so -- would not be that unexpected."

The owner of a popular nightspot on the famous Las Vegas Strip put it more bluntly:

"Personally, I think he's a despicable person, but if he fights, I'll make a lot of money," said the proprietor, who asked to remain anonymous.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a tax-funded organisation that promotes tourism in the city, opted for just-the-facts neutrality, declining several media requests for comment on whether Tyson should be licensed.

"Our last five major boxing matches averaged $6.5 million in non-gaming revenue," Erika Brandvik, a spokeswoman for the authority, said. "The Nevada Athletic Commission has a big decision."

Three of the five commissioners must vote in favour for Tyson to be given back the license that lapsed after his last Nevada fight in 1999.

The Los Angeles Times, quoting anonymous sources, reported powerful gambling lobbyists were putting pressure on the commission to deny Tyson his license following the melee in New York.

During that scrum, Tyson raged out of control, biting Lewis on the leg, flailing at security guards and unleashing an obscenity-laced tirade at reporters.

The Times said one source put Tyson's chances at no better than 50-50, while another predicted that he would be rejected.

An informal, unscientific poll by the Las Vegas Review Journal found that only 18 percent of readers who responded to an online survey wanted Tyson granted a new license and 32 percent wanted him permanently banned from boxing in the state.

In an editorial last week, the paper called for commissioners to deny Tyson the license.

Tyson was scheduled to appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday, but his management decided shortly before the broadcast to cancel that appearance, King said.