"AFP: NEW YORK: Mike Tyson did not throw a punch or say a word, but the former world heavyweight champion proved to be the main attraction here, upstaging a pair of world title bouts
Despite financial woes and having barely fought in the past two years, the 37-year-old ring legend had promoter Don King and the three current champions in his stable of fighters trying to coax him into a ring return.
Tyson sat at ringside on Saturday as Puerto Rican John Ruiz beat countryman Fres Oquendo to keep the World Boxing Association crown and American Chris Byrd kept the International Boxing Federation title in a draw with Poland's Andrew Golota.
Fans ignored ring action to catch a glimpse of Tyson as he walked into Madison Square Garden.
And after the fight, when Tyson sat in the third row for a post-fight news conference, King made a pitch to his former client, one who is now suing him for $100 million and staying out of the ring despite financial setbacks.
"I'm just waiting on you," King said as he pointed at Tyson. "We can change the globe. Let's do it again Mike. Let's see if we can regain the glory of the past because it's a new era now. There are new fighters, hungry fighters."
King hyped a May 22 cruiserweight fight in South Africa between Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck, the WBA champion, and American Virgil Hill and tossed an aside to Tyson, adding, "Mike, I would love you to go too."
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Media Report (April 18, 2004)
