faba Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 heavyweight champ set for fight in June By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com Dan Rafael Archive Eleven months after suffering a shocking fourth-round knockout loss to Danny Williams, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is coming back to the ring. Tyson (50-5, 44 KOs) will attend a news conference Tuesday afternoon in Washington to announce that he will fight Kevin McBride on June 11 on a Showtime pay-per-view card at the MCI Center. McBride (32-4-1, 27 KOs) was supposed to have been Tyson's opponent last July, but financial terms couldn't be reached, and with the proposed match already taking a beating in the media as a gross mismatch, organizers upgraded to Williams in what turned out to be a huge mistake. Now, however, Tyson is coming off a crushing knockout loss -- in which he badly injured his left knee -- and nearly a year of inactivity, and McBride appears to be just the sort of opponent that the doctor ordered. The native of Ireland is 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, but slow and not particularly skilled. He's been knocked out in each of his losses against modest opposition. "I'm glad for Mike. I'm glad he's getting on with his career," manager Shelly Finkel said. "Mike is happy to be fighting back on the East Coast. It's been about 10 years." Tyson's last East Coast appearance was a third-round knockout of Buster Mathis Jr. in Philadelphia in 1995. Tyson began working out last week in Phoenix with new trainer Jeff Fenech, the Hall of Famer with whom Tyson has been close for years, to prepare for the bout. Finkel said Tyson has not reported any problems with the knee, which required surgery after the Williams bout. The Tyson pay-per-view fight will face stiff competition from a live HBO card at Madison Square Garden in which rising star Miguel Cotto defends his junior welterweight title against 2000 Olympic gold medalist Mohamed Abdullaev in a rematch of their Olympic meeting. Also, former champ Joel Casamayor faces hot contender Almazbek Raimkulov in a lightweight fight. Finkel is confident the public still wants to watch Tyson. "I would have preferred not to be on the same date (as HBO), but they're going almost every week in June, so what can you do?" Finkel said. "I don't think it will affect us." Laila Ali (20-0, 17 KOs), daughter of Muhammad Ali, will also be featured on the card, her third appearance on a Tyson bill. She'll face Erin Toughill (6-1-1) in a super middleweight fight. Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Tyson to pay all his obligations has to keep fighting- his name and bad reputation draws people but this pay for view you have to be crazy to pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 It is ironic but Tyson showed the most heard he ever has in his last fight. He tore up his knee, didn't tell anybody and kept going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verde Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Cover your ears Kevin!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Laila Ali (20-0, 17 KOs), daughter of Muhammad Ali, will also be featured on the card, her third appearance on a Tyson bill. She'll face Erin Toughill (6-1-1) in a super middleweight fight. If Toughill isn't a made-up name for a boxer, I don't know what is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Next up on Iron Mike's March to Bolivian-bear-baiting, wrestling alligators, and coming between Star Jones and a box of Krispy Kremes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gg Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 I just think it is a shame that a man who had such initial talent could turn into such a sad character. His early early fights were just unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Division Marduk Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 I know McBride from my days back in school, he's from Clones, just a few miles away from here. If he beats Tyson, this area'll go mad, like when McGuigan won his title in the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted April 12, 2005 Author Share Posted April 12, 2005 I know McBride from my days back in school, he's from Clones, just a few miles away from here. If he beats Tyson, this area'll go mad, like when McGuigan won his title in the 80's. Barry McGuigan-tough Irish fighter I remember- the lower weight classes give some of the best action packed fights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4HCrew Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 The funny thing will be the reaction when he wins this fight...back on track etc they would have to offer free beer and all you can see strippers afterwards to remotely catch my interest in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smizzy Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Laila Ali...Hot or Not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joiseyjet Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Think I save my cash for the GATTI WARD fight in AC ON 6/25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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