Future Shock

Boxing promoter Don Elbaum came along too late to know A.J. Liebling, but the writer surely would have enjoyed a conversation with Elbaum because of his pithy observations on the sweet science. Liebling was especially interested in those he called “the big fellows,” so that a Liebling of today might have inquired about what many people have been wondering in light of Mike Tyson’s four comeback fights:

Is Tyson, at age 30, really still as awesome as he looks in the ring, intimidating enough that opponents even swoon at the sight of him, or rather is it that Tyson’s intentions look bad only in relation to his hand-picked opposition?

Elbaum’s views, however quaintly put, fall into the mainstream of boxing opinion on the subject of Tyson: that he still has plenty of raw power, but that he is beatable-except that there are few worthy opponents. Certainly the first four haven’t been worthy, as ! Elbaum’s thumbnail analysis suggests:

Peter McNeeley: “The under and over was 60 seconds.” ( McNeeley lasted 89).

Buster Mathis Jr.: “Buster tried hard but that was a foregone conclusion. He had nothing in the world to arm himself with but a fly swatter.”

Frank Bruno: “He could hit if he chose to but he was going to be another horizontal Englishman, which he was.”

Bruce Seldon: “When fighters start falling apart, it’s when they get to the dressing room. It’s like they’re going to the executioner. Seldon might have been dying before the dressing room.”

Or, as summarized even more succinctly by Lou Duva, who previously co-trained Evander Holyfield and now works with Andrew Golota: “Three bums and a guy with no chin.”

Which was the one with no chin?

“Seldon.

“Hey, Tyson’s proved nothin’ at all.”

McNeeley, without clue, ran straight at Tyson, as in a barroom brawl. Mathis, according to Michael Moorer’s trainer, Teddy Atlas, showed how “open” and hittable Tyson is, but didn’t have “the level of skill” to capitalize; bobbing and swatting, Mathis managed to get into the third round. Bruno got to the third round by holding. Seldon left people either outraged or simply dismayed when he literally folded like a tent in 1 minute 49 seconds.

“The first time I noticed a change in Mike Tyson’s persona was the Seldon fight,” said Sugar Ray Leonard. “He went to the ring with as much confidence as he ever had. He was on a mission.” The best that can be said for Seldon is that he also thought Tyson was.

Leonard-who, at 40, said he is contemplating a comeback fight early next year against Hector “Macho” Comacho-observed of Bruno: “He was blessing himself. When you see a fighter do that that many times, you know he’s in trouble. He was becoming an incredibly religious man.”

For Elbaum, Tyson is what he always was: “He’s the greatest four- or five-round fighter. But if anybody can get to the sixth round, he’s a different fighter and it’s a new fight.... There’s only two people who would stand up to him, George Foreman and Andrew Golota.”

‘It’s pretty hard to tell about Tyson because he’s the million dollar baby so to speak and they’re guaranteeing that he’s not going to lose or even come close to losing,” said trainer Adrian Davis. “I want to see. Tyson be hit a few times. I want to see somebody stay with him five, six, seven, eight rounds.

“I don’t think that much of Mike Tyson’s ability, but, my God, he can hit,” added Davis. “Mike Tyson does everything wrong. He doesn’t jab. He holds his hands wrong. He has real short arms. But he’s gifted with a punch.”

Atlas, who trained Tyson in his early days, said he has detected much about Tyson recently.

“He’s still a good puncher. He still has fast hands. These are physical gifts he’s been blessed with. Punchers are born, not made. He’s definitely got the intimidation factor with him still. But technically, he’s not as good a fighter as he used to be. He’s open and beatable from a technical standpoint-if you can get a pro in there with him. He throws punches wide. But the guys he’s been fighting have been more afraid of getting hit and not taking advantage. They’re concerned about going defensive.

“Tyson doesn’t come in behind his jab like he used to. He gives you a three-foot-wide area where you can beat him to the punch before he can catch you. But it’s going to take a guy with a certain skill level and a guy who is able on a particular night to set his fear aside, as a professional be able to control his emotions. It’s mental. To replace the fear of doing it with another emotion, like doing something special.”

Duva said Tyson can be beaten by “taking it right to him.” Duva believes he has the man to do it in Golota, who is scheduled to fight Riddick Bowe again, Dec. 14 in Atlantic City.

Tyson’s next fight will be Nov. 9 against an over-the-hill Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas. Lately, Holyfield, 34, has looked woefully weary in the ring. It’s clear that numerous long, difficult fights have taken their toll on him. He even retired temporarily in 1994, citing heart problems. Boxing people, while believing Holyfield will come to fight, worry about him.

“I prefer him not to fight, but I don’t have any say any more,” said Shelly Finkel, Holyfield’s former manager. “He’s been a wonderful fighter, a credit to the sport. You hate to see a great fighter do this, like Leonard after beating Hagler, go out and lose to Terry Norris.”

Finkel, asked if he thought Holyfield was risking serious injury in taking on Tyson: “I hope not. I think they’ll watch it real closely.”