King Takes Tyson Fight to Fox : Boxing: Bout on free TV Nov. 4 will go up against Bowe-Holyfield on pay-per-view.

Don King and Rupert Murdoch, two heavyweight wild cards with a penchant for surprises, are set today to announce a stunning marriage that might be the decisive blow in the heavyweight battle over the Nov. 4 date.

According to several sources, King and Murdoch have agreed to a deal that will put Mike Tyson’s fight against Buster Mathis Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nov. 4 on free television--Murdoch’s Fox network. On the same night, Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield are scheduled to fight at Caesars Palace on pay-per-view.

A television source indicated that Fox would pay King and Tyson less than $10 million. On Aug. 19, Tyson’s pay-per-view gross for his fight with Peter McNeeley was close to $50 million.

Those connected with the Bowe-Holyfield bout--which is scheduled to be televised by TVKO, Time-Warner’s pay-per-view arm, said the King-Murdoch deal proves that Tyson’s bout wouldn’t hold up as a pay-per-view event.

“If somebody gives you something for free, it usually means it’s because it’s not worth anything,” said Rock Newman, Bowe’s manager. “It further validates public opinion that our event was so superior that they got run out of the pay-per-view market.”

Times staff writer Larry Stewart contributed to this story.