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Tyson temporarily suspended
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Mike Tyson was temporarily suspended and his $30 million purse frozen today, the first step by Nevada boxing authorities in disciplining Tyson for biting Evander Holyfield during their heavyweight championship fight.The suspension is a preliminary move until the commission meets next week to determine its final action.
Tyson was not present at the hearing.
The commission voted 5-0 to serve Tyson with a complaint today and sign a waiver that would enable the disciplinary hearing to begin on July 8.
"We're obviously going to ask for some reason and judgment" at the hearing, Tyson attorney Marty Keach said.
"He also wants to fight again. That's what he does for a living. That's what his whole life is based on," Keach said.
Tyson threw himself at the mercy of Nevada boxing regulators on Monday in the wake of his disqualification for biting Holyfield, saying he "just snapped" and will not contest any penalty the commission wants to impose.
"I only ask that it's not a penalty for life for this mistake," Tyson said, reading a statement.
Asked by reporters if Tyson's apology might lessen his eventual punishment, commission chairman Elias Ghanem said it would not.
"Something bad happened in the ring. The apology doesn't change what happened in the ring," Ghanem said.
"The thing I liked most is he said he needed some psychological and psychiatric treatment. I wouldn't look at it as mitigating anything," he said.
Ghanem refused to comment on the range of penalties.
The New York Times and the New York Daily News reported today that Tyson will receive at least a one-year suspension, according to Nevada sources. The New York Post reported Tyson will likely be suspended for a year and fined $3 million.
By law, boxing commissioners can only fine Tyson up to 10 percent of his purse, or $3 million. But they can suspend him from the sport of boxing for as long as he lives if they choose.
A new federal law took effect today that forces other states to honor any suspension that Nevada imposes.
The commission also moved to cancel the check written to Tyson for $29,824,600 from promoter Don King and asked that a second check be made out to the commission and put into an interest-bearing account.
Tyson apologized to everyone from the judge who sentenced him for his rape conviction in Indianapolis to boxing fans around the world for behavior he said even he couldn't explain.
Most of all, though, he apologized to Holyfield for the bizarre end to the fight.
"Evander, I am sorry," Tyson said. "You are a champion and I respect that. I am only saddened that this fight did not go further so that the boxing fans of the world might see for themselves who would come out on top."
Standing alone in front of a lectern, his right eye still puffy and bandaged from the fight, Tyson spoke in a calm, yet vulnerable voice and took full responsibility for his actions.
For 4 minutes and 16 seconds, the most feared man in boxing pleaded for forgiveness and said he was seeking psychological help for biting Holyfield on the ears, taking a gash out of one.
"I have reached out since Saturday to ask my god to help me and to renew my faith as a true believer," said Tyson, who converted to Islam while serving his prison sentence. "I have also reached out since Saturday to the medical professionals for help to tell me why I did what I did. And I will have that help."
Holyfield, meanwhile, said Tyson's apology was "a good gesture."
"The fans truly deserve it most," he said. "They are the ones who didn't get to see a full show. I felt I was going to knock him out anyway, but still the fans need to see that we as athletes get paid a lot of money and we should be able to hold our composure and not do anything illegal."
Holyfield believes Nevada officials should hand down a stern penalty.
"Whatever punishment they give him will show what kind of commission we have," Holyfield told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It has to be something to make a statement; otherwise, other people are going to be doing the same thing."
Holyfield said he had not talked to Tyson, but said he would accept his apology.
"I'll let him know that his apology is accepted -- and I'll probably ask him a few questions," Holyfield said, "but they'd be personal."
Tyson is still on probation for his rape conviction. But authorities said his actions during the fight and his efforts to brawl with police who tried to separate the two camps after the disqualification would probably not be cause to revoke his probation.
George M. Walker, the Marion County, Ind., chief probation officer, said no action is pending against Tyson in Indiana, where he was convicted of raping Desiree Washington and spent three years in prison. But he said he would be watched closely.
"I think that at least for the time being, I'll be in a little more frequent contact with him," Walker said. "Mike still has some learning to do about how to control his anger."
Chuck Thompson, chief deputy district attorney in Las Vegas, said he had "no reason to believe" that Las Vegas police would submit a complaint against Tyson.