Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Tyson seeks May bout to sidestep clash with Oscar

De La Hoya already set for June 5 on HBO

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson might be in the ring sooner rather than later, his boxing adviser said.

Shelly Finkel has reunited with Tyson after a brief breakup and is working on arranging his next bout. Finkel said that while Showtime would like Tyson to fight June 5, the fight won't take place on that date. Former super welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya has announced plans to fight on HBO Pay-Per-View on June 5, and going head-to-head makes no sense to Finkel.

"Showtime has this feud with HBO, and so June 5 would be great for Showtime, but we don't want to be in the middle of that," Finkel said. "Going head-to-head like that does nothing positive for anybody concerned. It's not good for the business and it wouldn't be good for the fighters as individuals."

Finkel said he is talking about having Tyson fight in May, though no opponent nor venue has been chosen. Tyson has fought exclusively on Showtime since 1991, but Finkel said the fight could go elsewhere because of "some issues" between Tyson and Showtime.

• HE'S WITH OSCAR -- Numerous reports have said De La Hoya is considering dumping Top Rank Inc.'s Bob Arum as his promoter, which he did in 2000 before they reunited in 2002. De La Hoya last week curiously issued a news release announcing his June 5 fight through his company, Golden Boy Promotions, without Top Rank's knowledge.

But Arum said there's no truth to the rumors, and that he's working on a two-fight package for De La Hoya.

"I talk to Richard (Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO) every day and we're as strong as ever. Things are going well with us," Arum said.

Arum declined to reveal who De La Hoya is considering as his June opponent, but Finkel says it almost certainly won't be Fernando Vargas. De La Hoya stopped Vargas in the 11th round on Sept. 14, 2002, in a fight that reached almost 1 million pay-per-view buys.

Vargas has a bad back that forced him to cancel a Feb. 21 fight against Javier Castillejo. Finkel concedes Vargas' back "is not great," but said Vargas would fight De La Hoya for the right money.

"They offered us less than we made last time," Finkel said. "I just don't think that fight's happening."

• KING TO MANDALAY -- Promoter Don King will put on the Cory Spinks-Zab Judah fight for the undisputed welterweight title April 10 at Mandalay Bay. Wladimir Klitschko and Lamon Brewster will meet on the undercard for the WBO heavyweight title.

The Klitschko-Brewster winner would be in line to join a proposed heavyweight tournament King wants to put together to determine an undisputed heavyweight champion.

• PRETTY BOY UPDATE -- Arum said Las Vegan Floyd Mayweather Jr. likely will make his super lightweight debut against former IBF lightweight champion Paul Spadafora on May 8 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The winner will become the No. 1 contender for the WBC super lightweight title held by Arturo Gatti.

Arum said he plans to pair top prospect Miguel Cotto against Gianluca Branco, whom Gatti just defeated for the title, and Dmitriy Salita against Paulie Malignaggi as the chief undercard bouts.

• MONEY MATTERS -- Mayweather's May 8 fight will be the last on his HBO contract, and will pay him $3.25 million. That is more than the rights fee the network paid for the Shane Mosley-Winky Wright super welterweight unification bout March 13 at Mandalay Bay.

Arum said HBO wants no more long-term contracts, preferring to take each bout on a case-by-case basis.

• NEW TRAINER FOR JLC -- Ex-lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo, who returns to the ring Friday against Derrick Parks at the Colorado Belle Events Center in Laughlin, has a new chief trainer. Longtime Castillo assistant Julio Yanez has taken over for Romulo Quirarte Sr.

If Castillo wins, he'll fight Juan Lazcano for the WBC lightweight title Mayweather plans to vacate.