Once in Corner of Tyson, King Now on Ropes

It was one of the most impressive moves of Mike Tyson’s career.

And it didn’t even come in the ring.

It came in a limousine parked outside a Beverly Hills hotel a few weeks ago. Promoter Don King, trying to get into the limo and remain close to Tyson and his multimillion-dollar earning potential, was shoved out onto the pavement by the former undisputed heavyweight champion, who appears to have finally had it with the man some accuse of stealing Tyson blind.

So has he finally cut the umbilical cord with King, the man who played a central role in making Tyson the richest draw in sports?

Probably, but not yet. Not officially.

Attorney John Branca, nephew of Ralph, the former Brooklyn Dodger pitching star, is representing Tyson. He said the fighter is reassessing his career but has not yet made a decision on King.

The only action Tyson has taken, according to Branca, is to fire one of his managers, John Horne. The other manager, Rory Holloway, may also get the ax, but he remains close to Tyson as a friend.

Tyson’s problems began with a loss to Evander Holyfield in November 1996.

That seemed like the end of Tyson’s world at the time.

But as it turned out, it was just the first step on a bizarre, destructive downhill journey for Tyson, who seems to have forever lost the luster he once enjoyed as the world’s best fighter.

Last June came the still-hard-to-believe rematch with Holyfield, which ended with Tyson disqualified and Holyfield with a piece of his ear on the canvas.

Tyson was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for at least a year for biting Holyfield on both ears.

But even that wasn’t the end of Tyson’s problems. He subsequently punctured a lung and broke a rib in a motorcycle accident.

Sources close to Tyson claim he has since discovered that his handlers, King included, took half of his $30-million purse from the second Holyfield fight.

On top of all that, Tyson owes $7 million in taxes.

The blows just keep on coming.

Nobody is going to feel sorry for him. Nor should anyone. He was too arrogant when he was on top to gain any sympathy now that he’s on the bottom.

And he either caused his problems or at least allowed them to happen.

But what now?

King, who has proved harder to dislodge than Saddam Hussein, isn’t giving up his pipeline to Tyson without a fight.

“Mike Tyson can’t fire me,” King said. “Mike Tyson is my friend. It’s just a minor domestic family dispute. It’s nothing.”

Among those Tyson has contacted in an attempt to regain control of his life are record producers Jeff Wald and Irving Azoff, who have promoted several George Foreman fights.

But according to Wald, their dealings with Tyson, at least to this point, are focused on getting him involved as a producer in the music business.

“We think that, because of the urban contemporary acts out there,” Wald said, “he could be a magnet to attract artists.

“You know, he’s a great boxing historian. Well, his knowledge of music is almost as good, even country music.”

It seems likely that Tyson will be permitted to fight again by the commission, a ruling expected this summer around the first anniversary of the ear fiasco. A third match against Holyfield, who has said he would consider such a fight, has the potential to be the richest ever.

And with many of the Las Vegas hotels showing little interest in boxing in the wake of the riot that followed Tyson-Holyfield II, the commission might be swayed in its decision on Tyson by the chance to bring boxing back to Nevada in a big way.

The question is: If Tyson returns, will King again be in his corner?

Shoving King out of a limo was one thing for Tyson. Shoving King totally out of his life may prove to be more difficult.

BUMPY ROAD

Heading into November of 1996, Marco Antonio Barrera seemed to be heading down the same road to glory once traveled by Julio Cesar Chavez.

At 22, with the World Boxing Organization junior-featherweight belt comfortably around his waist, Barrera had a 43-0 record with 31 knockouts, one of those victories having been one of the greatest fights ever staged at the Great Western Forum, a bruising knockout victory over Kennedy McKinney that included six knockdowns, five of them administered by Barrera.

Heading into November of 1997, Barrera was struggling to make his way down a different road, a comeback trail. He was laboring as a construction worker in Mexico City.

And nobody was comparing him to Chavez, his countryman who is generally hailed as Mexico’s greatest fighter.

What happened?

Junior Jones happened.

Barrera not only lost consecutive decisions to Jones, one on a controversial disqualification and the other on a 12-round decision, he broke his right hand. That occurred in the fourth round of the second fight last April.

“I split the knuckle on the hand,” Barrera said through an interpreter, “but I never told my corner.”

Barrera did construction work for his father while the healing process took its course.

He got back into the gym in December and gets back into the ring tonight at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas where he’ll face Angel Rosario (21-16-1, nine knockouts), who is nine years older than Barrera.

Assuming he gets past Rosario, Barrera, of course, would like to get his title back.

That could make for an intriguing rematch since Jones no longer holds that title.

He lost it to McKinney.

CALENDAR

Monday--Ed Mahone vs. Cody Koch, NABO heavyweight championship; Santos Cardona vs. Oscar Gonzalez, NABO welterweight championship; Hector Quiroz vs. Mark Lewis, junior-welterweights; Great Western Forum, 7:15 p.m.

Friday--Robert McCracken vs. Lonnie Beasley, middleweights; Adan Vargas vs. Narciso Rodriguez, NABF bantamweight championship; Sportsman’s Lodge, 4:15 p.m.