Goossen Goes From Valley to the Peak of Promoting

Dan Goossen made it over the hill Tuesday from North Hollywood to Hollywood.

Goossen, who served as the barker during a news conference at the Hollywood Athletic Club to announce the Jan. 16 Mike Tyson-Francois Botha fight, is the first man not named Arum, Duva or King to promote a fight of this magnitude in more than three decades.

As a newcomer to the heavyweight division of promoters, Goossen revealed his inexperience.

During a news conference at the Grand Olympic Auditorium last week to promote the March 13 Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis fight in March, local publicist Bill Caplan asked the promoter, Don King, to move from between the fighters so they could square off for the photographers.

“Step aside so they can look at each other,” Caplan said.

“Spiritually, they are looking at each other,” King said, refusing to budge, lest a photo be taken without him in it.

In the obligatory pose for photographers Tuesday, Goossen didn’t have to be asked to remove himself from the picture.

“Nobody came to see the promoter, the trainers or the lawyers,” Goossen said later. “They came to see Mike Tyson, then Francois Botha.”

He’ll learn.

Not so long ago, Goossen was promoting fights under the banner of Ten Goose Boxing--named for the 10 Goossen siblings from North Hollywood--at the Reseda Country Club, and his most marketable fighters were Michael Nunn and the Ruelas brothers.

He went national a couple of years ago, moving to Denver and forming AmericaPresents, which has become a major player in the boxing business.

How major became apparent to everyone when Goossen, 49, signed Tyson, a relationship that developed from the few moments they spent talking outside St. Martin of Tours church in Brentwood after Jim Murray’s funeral in August.

“I looked into the yellow pages under ‘boxing promoter’ and it was a damn short list: Don King and Bob Arum,” Goossen once said of his start. “I thought, ‘Hey, there is plenty of room for another promoter.’ ”

Apparently he’s it.

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After assuring the Nevada State Athletic Commission he would play a significant role in Tyson’s comeback, Magic Johnson has been invisible in the boxer’s camp amid rumors there was a rift between them. . . .

If so, it didn’t show during Tuesday’s news conference. Johnson sat in the front row. . . .

“My role is a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” he said. “We don’t talk every week. But when we talk, we make it productive.” . . .

The relationship might have become more formal, but Johnson, who has his promoter’s license in three states, had second thoughts when Tyson asked for a $5-million loan. . . .

Isiah Thomas, also at the news conference, was asked if he believes there will be an NBA season. . . .

“No,” he said. “I think the fight is too bitter.” . . .

Shaquille O’Neal has committed to the Chris Mills Charity Game on Sunday at Pauley Pavilion, but that might not be the only time he sweats during the lockout. . . .

At last week’s Oscar De La Hoya Foundation dinner, Arum spoke to agent Leonard Armato about matching O’Neal against Butterbean. . . .

O’Neal has not yet started sparring, Arum said, “except with [Greg] Ostertag.” . . .

You could see next year’s Kentucky Derby winner Saturday in the Hollywood Futurity at Hollywood Park. . . .

Real Quiet, whose career had been pretty much that, won last year. . . .

The new detective on “NYPD Blue” played by Rick Schroeder is named Danny Sorenson, also the name of a journeyman jockey on the Southern California circuit. . . .

Considering that the show’s executive producer, David Milch, is a horse owner, there had to be a story there. . . .

Not so, Milch reported. . . .

“We thought of the name independently,” he said. “Of course, it occurred to me about 20 seconds afterward that Danny Sorenson is also a rider. . . .

“As it turns out, a lot of Danny’s qualities were incorporated into our character, even though we hadn’t made the connection. I admire the way Danny rides. He’s a hard trier who rides a lot of longshots and gives it his best.” . . .

Sure enough, a couple of days after Milch said that, Sorenson won two races at Hollywood Park, both paying more than $20.

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While wondering whether there is a new Tyson or if he was only acting because he was in Hollywood, I was thinking: Keep reminding me that NBA owners and players aren’t stupid enough to lose the entire season, ABC’s “Sports Night” is the best new show on television, the Kings need Larry Robinson more than ever--as a player.

Randy Harvey can be reached at randy.harvey@latimes.com.