HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP : TYSON VS. TUCKER : It May Not Be Much of a Fight, but Tonight’s Bout Will Unify Crown

The culmination of an 18-month, $31-million tournament probably should deliver something more than a “jeweled scepter” (from Felix the Jeweler, Las Vegas), a chinchilla royal robe (courtesy of Lenobel Furriers, Las Vegas) and a crown that the promoter assures is studded with “baubles, rubies and fabulous doodads” (Woolworth’s?).

Certainly, the wrap-up of the heavyweight title unification series, which once seemed a worthy and much-anticipated goal, should be attended by something more than the dime-store controversy that has been breaking out around it.

--Did Mike Tyson bolt training camp to visit his starlet girlfriend in Los Angeles, or did he return to see a sick old lady in the Catskills?

--Will Tony Tucker, promised a purse of $1.9 million, see even $100,000 by fight’s end?

--Can Dennis Rappaport, with the flick of an injunction in New York, halt the entire enterprise the day before the fight?

--Finally, who has the more interesting head of hair, Tyson, with a growing patch of baldness above his forehead (a reverse Kareem), or Tucker, who flew in his own stylist and, one presumes, an industrial-sized drum of gel?

Lost in all of this is the sheer significance of tonight’s HBO fight at the Hilton Hotel, which unifies the division, giving boxing one champion for the first time since 1978. Resolved, finally, are the claims from the three rival organizations, each with its own champion and list of contenders. When Tyson, representing the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Assn., meets Tucker, representing the International Boxing Federation, tonight, it will be to decide the heavyweight champion of the world.

Unfortunately, two factors conspire to undermine the aforementioned significance and allow the fight to sink into the aforementioned controversy.

--Former IBF champion Michael Spinks, just as undefeated as Tyson (30-0) and Tucker (35-0), lurks out there. Even though Spinks escaped the tournament to fight Gerry Cooney (or duck Tyson, depending on your point of view), there are some supporters who insist there can’t be one champion until he is finally beaten.

--Tonight’s fight, the finale, what promoter Don King bills as “Glory Hallelujah!” is expected to be entirely non-competitive. Tucker, who was unimpressive in winning the vacant IBF title from Buster Douglas, is a 15-1 underdog in some places to unseat Tyson, at 21 already a veteran of three title fights.

Given that, it is little wonder prefight publicity has been reduced to speculation about Tyson’s love life or Tucker’s curious financial picture. In fact, it is possible to wonder whether the promoters aren’t actually pleased by these mini-controversies.

The Rappaport injunction, granted late Thursday night, almost transcended mini-controversy, in fact nearly jeopardized the fight, right up to Friday afternoon. Rappaport, better known as Cooney’s manager, last year bought 21% of Tucker’s contract and future earnings from Tucker’s father/manager for $50,000. The last deal made like this in New York involved some Indians and $24, and assorted beads and doodads.

Bob Tucker, not unlike the Zero Mostel character in “The Producers,” has often solved short-term cash problems by selling percentages of his son’s future. Emanuel Steward, better known as Thomas Hearns’ manager, holds 10% of Tucker’s contract as well. The problem has been that Tucker has so far refused to pay anything to Rappaport, saying Rappaport breached the contract by not doing anything for Tucker’s career beyond contribute the $50,000.

So Rappaport gained a lien of $540,000 against Tucker for his share of the last four fights and tonight’s. But, realizing that Tucker’s money was in a letter of credit payable to the fighter, Rappaport went one step further, gaining an injunction to stop the fight until his share was deposited in escrow.

On Friday, Clark Co. District Court Judge Addeliar Guy overturned the injunction, ruling that Tucker must comply with the court order--deposit the $540,000 in escrow--by Monday. There would be a later hearing to determine the actual amount, if any, Rappaport is to receive.

This only served to highlight Tucker’s financial problems, which might be comical if he didn’t have to face Tyson on top of everything else. His big payday, by some accounts, has shrunk to less than $90,000. How is that possible, given a figure of $1.9 million? Well, various promoters were given $700,000 to step aside and let King, HBO and Hilton go ahead with the fight. There was $100,000 for training expenses, $540,000 for Rappaport, $209,000 for Bob Tucker, $110,000 for Steward, about $30,000 for sanctioning fees, about $66,000 for trainers and cornermen. Taxes took some, too.

This is in a growing tradition of Tyson fights. Someone who saw Pinklon Thomas’s actual paycheck after his Tyson fight said, after various liens and attachements, it was for $30,000. It hardly pays to fight Tyson.

Tyson upheld his end in the controversy department earlier in the week when reports leaked out that he was becoming uncontrollable, had jumped camp to see girl friend Robin Givens, the actress of “Head of the Class,” wasn’t getting along with trainer Kevin Rooney and was, just generally, emulating the Marlon Brando character in “The Wild One.”

These reports, however, were refuted point by point. Jimmy Jacobs, co-manager, said Tyson had called him and asked to break camp to attend the sickbed of Camille Ewald, the 81-year-old longtime custodian of his in Catskill. “He never went to L.A.,” Jacobs says.

As for not getting along with Rooney, another Cus D’Amato disciple, that report didn’t hold up too well, either. Gathered with a couple of reporters, the two sat together like the old friends they say they are. Tyson affectionately grabbed Rooney’s stomach at one point to emphasize its girth. Both pronounced the reports as hogwash. “We’ve never shouted at one another,” Rooney said.

Tyson, however, is resigned to this kind of fallout from his growing celebrity. At what is now referred to as the “L.A. incident,” in which he was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after a concert at the Greek Theater, Tyson and his followers simply shrug, noting that charges weren’t made until three weeks after the incident, presumably after the victim found out who Tyson was.

“This is the downside of being heavyweight champion,” says Jacobs, “you’re a target for people who want to get publicity or money. Mike Tyson does not have an exclusive in this. You can start with John L. Sullivan if you want to. This has happened to every champion.”

Tyson says he won’t get caught up in any of this. Though only 21, he has become very sophisticated about his situation. “Everything that has happened, Cus told me would happen,” he says. “Anything I do, I always think about the circumstances.”

The expectation is that what happens in the ring tonight won’t nearly be as interesting as what’s been happening outside. It’s strange to think so, but the promoters may well be thanking Rappaport for his part in the publicity. It has been as priceless as any of the jeweled scepters or other fabulous doodads.

Notes

Mike Tyson is supposed to be getting $2.5 million for his part in this. . . . The WBA, which insists on 12-round fights, got the rival organizations to change it Friday morning from a scheduled 15-round fight. Neveda State Athletic Commissioner Duane Ford said this was done in the “interest of harmony, unification and sanctioning fees.” . . . Tony Tucker, who had a brilliant amateur career and who entered the ‘80s as one of Tomorrow’s Champions, has a history of asking for non-threatening opponents and impossible purses. On the eve of a fight with a credible opponent, for what was at least initially a wonderful purse, he was downplaying Tyson. “I don’t think Tyson’s been pounded or tested,” he said. “I got 30 KOs myself, but I’m versatile. He’s nothing but a back-em-up fighter. He hurts like anyone else.” . . . Tyson to reporters: “You know how girls’ mothers are, reading something in the papers and running to your girlfriend? Please, write that I love Robin.” . . . Tyson has fight dates set for Oct. 16 with Tyrell Biggs, for March 21 in Tokyo and an undetermined date in December or January. His court date in Los Angeles is Aug. 26.