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Tyson returning? Well, Let the Circus Begin

Feb 11, 2004  By Vito Trabucco
I realize that I'm in the minority these days. But there aren't too many of us left that actually get excited when they here news about Mike Tyson fighting again. Word is out now that Mike Tyson plans on returning to the ring again probably in June if you go by what his manager Shelly Finkel is saying.

Now with the departure of Lennox Lewis, does this do anything for the heavyweight division? The funny thing is; I don't think it does. Vitali Klitschko is the man to beat right? Well, how come Mike Tyson is a bigger draw then? How come fighters want to fight Tyson and not Klitschko, Byrd, or Jones, JR.? The bottom line is when the general public thinks of boxing, it thinks of Mike Tyson to this very day.

The big story in boxing now is how does Lennox Lewis rank among the all-time greats? I'm in the minority on this as well. I don't think he does. Lewis had some great ring abilities, but his lack of fighting and two very big mistakes keep him out of the all-time elite in my opinion. I know, "Tyson never fights". Why are you sticking up for him? He loses too!" Tyson's legacy in boxing is already cemented. I say this about Lewis because as Heavyweight Champion, he has an obligation to defend it. Just like his predecessors before him. There is nothing wrong with losing. But try not to have one of the biggest upsets in boxing history happen to you twice.

Like Muhammad Ali, Tyson's out of the ring circus is even more interesting then what happens when he actually fights. We are just attracted to him. Just like with Ali in the 60's. It seems like the actual act of boxing takes a back seat when we discuss fighters like these.

Not that the heavyweight division doesn't need to get back on their feet. With the welterweights and the junior middleweights dominating the sport, we need to get these titles unified. Roy Jones, JR. is now looking for a rematch with Antonio Tarver. Look for a possible Jones/Tyson "Super Money Fight" in the future, but for now it looks like Roy is going to do battle as a light heavyweight.

I'm not in the minority on one thing though. I believe it's up to Vitali Klitschko to unify the belts and to rule the division. But for now, the popularity is still with Mike.

Do we remember when Tyson respectively entered the post fight press conference of Klitschko/Johnson? As soon as Tyson entered the room, all eyes were on Mike. Tyson is nothing short of a Circus Act and so was Ali. Not to compare Tyson to Ali as fighters, but you get my point.

So who is he going to fight this spring? Let's for argument sake, say he's fighting a worthy opponent. Mesi is preoccupied with Jirov and wouldn't be ready even with a decisive win. Die hard Tyson fans need to realize that he doesn't deserve a title shot yet. Even though half the fighters nowadays don't either. So who can it be?

How about James "Lights Out" Toney? Talk about a circus! Not only will that fight become the focus of media and fan attention. It would catapult either fighter to make a claim for a title shot. I know Showtime Championship Boxing would certainly entertain that idea. A huge spectacle starting from the press conference to the fight itself, to the post fight interviews. Tyson/Toney has my vote.

The Tyson Circus enters a new year and hopefully with some new surprises. Think of it like this, in 30 years when we look back on this era of boxing. Which Heavyweight are you going to be talking to your kids about? Maybe I'm not in the minority after all.

Email questions or comments to Vito at: vitotrabucco@yahoo.com .

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