Bill Cayton, 85; Collected Fight Films, Once Managed Tyson

Bill Cayton, 85, an early manager of boxer Mike Tyson and the owner of the largest collection of old fight films, died Saturday of lung cancer in Larchmont, N.Y.

A fixture in the fight business for decades, Cayton managed world champions including Tyson, Wilfred Benitez and Edwin Rosario. But he was best known for co-managing Tyson with Jim Jacobs when the young heavyweight turned pro in 1984.

Around 1988, when Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks, and after Jacobs had died, Tyson sued Cayton to sever their ties.

Cayton began buying fight films in the 1940s; his collection included such legendary fighters as Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson and Gene Tunney. It also included the legendary 1936 fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium.

Cayton sold his film and tape library in 1988 to Disney Corp., which features many of the titles on its ESPN Classic Sports Network.

Born in New York City, Cayton earned a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland in 1937 and began a career as a technical writer for DuPont. By 1945, he was running his own advertising firm.

Cayton got involved with boxing in the late 1940s, finding it the most effective vehicle for his advertising spots because larger team sports were not yet suitable for small screen viewing.

He began managing fighters in the mid-1970s.