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Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield III coming soon?
By Zach Arnold | March 5, 2010
- Ringside Report: Done deal – the return of Mike Tyson to boxing (he could face Vinny Maddalone! Oh my…)
- The Guardian (UK): Spare us the spectacle of Iron Mike creaking back into the ring (plus news about Hitman Hearns becoming homeless)
- The London Times: David Haye cautions Mike Tyson against return to the ring
- Deadspin: Mike Tyson’s comeback can’t ruin these great times for boxing
Like…
- Associated Press: Yuri Foreman vs. Miguel Cotto booked for Yankee Stadium on 6/5 (love Arum saying, “This is a great thing for my legacy.” Plus — a bar mitzvah nearly stopped it from happening?)
- AOL Fanhouse: Arum claims outdoor stadiums are the way to go to promote future shows
- New York Daily News: Yankee Stadium to be scaled to 30,000 seats for the fight
Topics: Boxing, Media, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback | Share This
The FREAK SHOWS just keep coming. Boxing and MMA are bringing the freaks.
I read about scaling back Yankee stadium to 30,000 a few weeks ago. I don’t understand that. Cotto has consistently brought 20,000 fans into Madison Square Garden. Given what will be lower upperdeck seat prices I’m sure there are a ton of his fans that will fill those to say they saw him fight and be part of the event.
That’s just Cotto and his Puerto Rican fanbase. Foreman has a huge Hasidic following that he will bring with him.
The cynic/realist/guy who grew up in NYC says this is Crown Heights 2.0 waiting to happen. All they need is one controversial thing to happen. Like a bad decision either way and it’s on.
Promoters are all too willing to reinforce the negative stereotypes about boxing
Cotto’s PR crowd has declined in energy with each outing @ MSG, and I know because I’m usually there. Neither the Mosley or Clottey fights were as loud as the Judah fight, and even I skipped the Jennings bout. This was all before Cotto’s caught the gangsta smackdown from Pacquiao, so I’m sure he’s lost some drawing power. As for Foreman I saw him fight Tsurkan at the Paradise Theatre in the Bronx. Sure there were a lot of Hasids in the crowd but they were not the majority, and the theatre was at best 75% full. They didn’t follow Foreman to the Bronx last time so no guarantee they will this time. Also I wouldn’t worry too much about safety … Judah’s Brooklyn fans didn’t create problems and they were much more numerous than Foreman’s crowd will be.
I do think the best thing for boxing is to get out of the casinos and back into arenas (which MMA does), but not so sure about outdoor ball stadiums. I’ll check this Cotto fight out but I can’t imagine enjoying the electric fight night atmosphere the way I do at the Garden or club venues.
If nothing else, it’ll be a unique experience. Should be pretty fun.
How is the Paradise to watch boxing? Looks beautiful. I’ve been to a Joe DeGuardia show at the other theater in the Bronx. That old dump, can’t remember the name of it. Built exactly the same as the Apollo except it’s practically falling down.
I may see if I can get back home for the Cotto fight. I’d love to see a fight at the Stadium.
The Paradise is great, check it out when you have a chance. Prices re kind of steep for the Bronx, but the crowd is good and knowledgeable. Yes the renovation has made it into a beautiful theatre, a great old school feel that is wonderful for boxing.
SIGN TYSON TOO, UFC!!
Tyson coming out of retirement just makes me sad for him. He clearly doesn’t want to box, since the most sincere moment he’s ever had in the public eye was admitting “I don’t have the heart for this anymore” after losing to McBride. Tyson is reprehensible as a human being, but I was hoping he’d continue just popping up in weird media cameos for a payday off and on and stay out of trouble. And getting back in bed with Don King is not a good way to accomplish that.
I read an article somewhere on the net, and I hope it wasn’t just a rumor, that Don King has signed Tyson and Holyfield to a re-match some time near the end of the year. If so, it will be a comeback for not only Tyson and Evander Holyfield, but also for Don King. He hasn’t been on the front page of the sports section in quite some time.
I’ve been waiting for more publicity on this, God knows King Productions would be all over this, but I’ve come up empty. Does anyone have anything on this. If they kept it to a serious match, no ‘Circus Ear Biting,’ it might be good for boxing.
“But it’ll be two old guys over weight in the ring. Who want to see that?” Like a car wreck, you SAY you won’t look, but you slow down and LOOK when you go by. If it’s true, should make everybody a few bucks. Everyone would watch.
I wrote a column on this at Butterfield on Sports.
CorneliusButterfield.com