From correspondents in Beijing

March 11, 2004

 

FORMER world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson wants to box in China, but finding a three million dollar appearance fee remains the key issue in negotiations, a Beijing promoter said Thursday.

 

"The key to bringing this off is money. If we have enough money everything will go smoothly," Zhang Heng, director of the competition center of the Beijing sports bureau, told AFP.

 

Preliminary talks between Tyson's people and Beijing sports authorities have been held in the capital with each side basically agreeing on an October fight with a yet unnamed opponent to be preceded by a promotional tour in June, Zhang said.

 

"They've come here to talk. Tyson has also signed a letter, but things are still in the preliminary stage. The Tyson people don't want to talk to the press at this time," Zhang said.

 

If a Beijing fight materializes, it would become the first-ever major heavyweight boxing match in China.

 

Flamboyant American boxing promoter Don King tried to organize a "Brawl at the Wall" heavyweight title fight between Evander Holyfield and John Ruiz in Beijing in 2001, but due to difficulties in raising cash and injuries the fight was repeatedly postponed.

 

In the end, the Beijing venue was scrapped altogether and the fight was held in the United States.

 

Tyson, 37, retains a high level of interest in China's sports world, not only because of his once-devastating fighting skills, but also for his bad boy image and a prominent tattoo of the late Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong on his arm.

 

He is reportedly in financial trouble and last month reunited with his former manager Shelly Finkel in an effort to return to the boxing ring. No opponent was mentioned.

 

His last fight was more than a year ago when he beat Clifford Etienne in 49 seconds

All you had to do was read the first sentence about wanting $3 million and that was it...

All you had to do was read the first sentence about wanting $3 million and that was it...

Is that 3 million for each ear he bites off?

Is that 3 million for each ear he bites off?

Man, who would have thought he was on top of the world at one time, now he's just trying to have scraps of $$. Damn..