Tyson - Ogawa match announced

Tyson - Ogawa match announced

By JOHN F. MOLINARO -- SLAM! Wrestling

Naoya Ogawa

New Japan Pro Wrestling founder Antonio Inoki announced at a press conference yesterday that he has signed Mike Tyson to face former N.W.A. World Heavyweight champion Naoya Ogawa either on June 16 or June 17 at the Tokyo Egg Dome.

Flying back to his Los Angeles home, Inoki told reporters at Tokyo's Narita Airport that an agreement had been reached between both sides and that the fight will air live in Japan and the U.S. on pay-per-view and be broadcast live over the Internet. Inoki promised that in mid-March he would hold a formal press conference announcing all the details.

Inoki went on to say that Tyson's agents feel that he can knock out Ogawa with a single punch. Inoki told media that Ogawa is confident of winning because the match won't be a boxing match and instead an "open fight" . As an alternative site for the match, Inoki discussed the possibility of staging the event in Las Vegas.

Inoki was reported to be "gloating" over the signing of the deal. Since announcing that he had been negotiating with Tyson's representatives at New Japan's February 18th pay-per-view event from Tokyo's Sumo Hall, the Japanese media have been very critical and sceptical that a match between Tyson and a pro wrestler would ever take place. Inoki has a reputation and track record of "working" the Japanese media into reporting false stories, similar to how Hulk Hogan plants false rumors by calling up the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show in Tampa, Florida.

According to Zach Arnold of puroresupower.com, Tyson has shown interest in working a "worked match" against a Japanese opponent. Arnold also reports that Tyson's asking price for the one match is $45 million (U.S.).

Sukan Gendai, a Japanese publication, ran a recent article stating that Tyson will face Mike Bernardo, a K-1 mixed martial arts fighter, instead of Ogawa.

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