COLUMN: John L. Smith

     Fight weekend in the city that mainlines hyperbole.
      The street hisses with energy. The casinos and restaurants are buzzing more than usual. In a place where any bellhop worth his grift can score a pair of championship fight tickets with a phone call, these ducats are scarcer than a golden-hearted hooker.
      Of all Don King's big heavyweight productions, tonight's rematch at the MGM Grand Garden between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson figures to live up to the hype.
      The world will be watching. Period.
      One day this week, the crowd at Nicky Blair's was watching King as he made his way to a late dinner meeting with fight game insiders. Blair and his main man Franco DePorra guided King and his group into a private room. Strong rumor had it plans were being made for Tyson-Holyfield III. But first, the rematch.
      -- The Cutman: While the pugilists were preparing to do battle, legendary local cutman Johnny Tocco was in the fight of his life at Valley Hospital. Tocco, who turns 87 next week, suffers from heart ailments and circulation maladies that nearly killed him two weeks ago. Surgeons amputated his left leg after circulatory trouble led to gangrene.
      But talk about tough. The pugnacious old fight man is recovering his strength and itching to get out of the hospital.
      A call to Tocco's bedside found him analyzing the big fight with sportsman Lem Banker. Their consensus: Slight edge to Holyfield. Local sports books make Tyson an eyelash favorite.
      -- Fight Doc: Word that fight doctor Donald Romeo's name made the list of locals who potentially will have schools named after them came as good news to many Las Vegans. After all, Doc Romeo spent three decades giving thousands of physicals to young athletes. He was at ringside for thousands more amateur boxing matches. And he was the team physician-in-residence at Bishop Gorman High School for 25 years.
      If caring for young people counts for something, make Doc a formidable favorite.
      -- Still Crazy: At least he's consistent. Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin, whose nightlife habits have gotten him into a world of trouble in recent years, was spotted with his pals Thursday eyeing the talent at Rick Rizzolo's Crazy Horse Too topless cabaret.
      Irvin and several of his Dallas teammates are in Las Vegas for a charity basketball game against members of the Green Bay Packers. Sources say Irvin, whose drug and sex scandals have embarrassed even the NFL, contributed to the topless club's G-string charity for about four hours.
      -- Out-of-Towners: On Friday, not everyone was coming to Las Vegas to see the fight. While the masses streamed into McCarran, the Showgirls of Magic were taking their act to Hong Kong in time for the history-making Chinese takeover of the city. When in Las Vegas, the act headlines at the San Remo.
      Perhaps they will take care to entertain the Asian high roller who earlier this week dropped $1.3 million playing baccarat at the Tropicana.
      -- Brown Out: Gaming industry observers are still buzzing about the sudden departure of G. Michael Brown and Al Luciani from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. Foxwoods, touted as the largest casino in the world and most profitable casino in the world, is run by the Mashantucket Pequot Indians. Brown resigned last week. Luciani was fired for what tribal officials called a conflict of interest.
      At least now they have plenty of time to see the big fight.
     
     John L. Smith's column regularly appears Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.