Arum Knows Punch Line to This One

If promoter Bob Arum has his way, Mike Tyson’s next opponent would be George Foreman in a fight that would match former two-time heavyweight champions.

Before Saturday, that fight might have seemed like a bad joke, a match between the hardest puncher in boxing and a 50-year-old man.

But that was before Tyson’s poor showing against Francois Botha at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Now, the joke might be on Tyson. His devastating fifth-round knockout punch got the headlines, but most of the other punches thrown by Tyson, wild and out of control, got the attention of Arum and others.

“It was an amateurish performance,” Arum said. “There are 15 other heavyweights out there who could beat Tyson.”

Arum doesn’t buy the argument that Tyson was merely showing the effects of 19 months of inactivity caused by the loss of his boxing license for biting Evander Holyfield’s ears in a 1997 title rematch.

“He was not rusty,” said Arum of Tyson. “You don’t forget how to fight. Did you see one jab? Did you see one combination?”

Arum, who would have Foreman’s promotional rights in a matchup with Tyson, plans to meet with Shelly Finkel, Tyson’s manager.

“The ball is in their court,” Arum said, “but I would think that they would be reluctant to do it now.”

Foreman, of course, would also have to be convinced. He has already declared his intention to fight at least once after his 50th birthday, which was a week ago. He planned to fight 49-year-old Larry Holmes, but that match was canceled when promoter Roger Levitt failed to come up with the purse money. Levitt is now attempting to reschedule the fight.

Arum plans to have Foreman watch a tape of the Tyson-Botha fight, figuring that will make the best argument for him to agree to enter into possible negotiations with Tyson.

“Don’t you think George can do better than this Botha clown?” Arum said. “Tyson comes in and throws everything he’s got. George can take a punch. He’s got the better jab. And George’s right hand will ultimately be the decider.”

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Tyson’s financial woes continue. Prior to Saturday night, he owed the government approximately $13 million in taxes. His purse for the Botha fight was $10 million and he received an advance of approximately $13 million off future earnings.

But Internal Revenue Service officials were on hand at the fight to collect on his past debt.

And Tyson will owe new taxes on the $23 million he earned Saturday night.

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Before the Botha fight, Tyson was on a timetable he hoped would lead to a third fight against Evander Holyfield in November or December. The leading contender for Tyson’s next fight, which has been scheduled for late April, is Axel Schulz of Germany, who has already lost to Botha. Tyson would fight once more in the summer, presumably not against anybody who could upset his plans, and hope that Holyfield beats Lennox Lewis in their showdown for the undisputed heavyweight championship March 13 in New York, setting up what was being billed as the most lucrative fight in history.

But after Saturday night, it is obvious that Tyson needs a lot of work before he can even think of fighting someone of Holyfield’s caliber. Tyson couldn’t handle Holyfield before Tyson accumulated 19 months of rust.

Under the guidance of his new trainer, Tommy Brooks, Tyson was supposed to go back to the style that once made him the terror of the heavyweight division, a fighter whose devastating power was set up with plenty of movement, a lot of bobbing and weaving and numerous combinations. But Tyson, who too often stood still against Botha, holding him and throwing only single punches, might have trouble with Foreman, even at 50.

As for Tyson-Holyfield being the most lucrative fight ever, that prediction must also be questioned after Saturday. In terms of actual tickets purchased at full price, Tyson-Botha came up about 5,000 short of capacity in the 16,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena. The pay-per-view numbers are also expected to be disappointing.

Tyson offers the two things the boxing public loves--power and chaos. Fans bought that in the past, but now that he appears to be a mere mortal, it’s a much tougher sell.