Savarese would like to fight distracted Tyson

Savarese would like to fight distracted Tyson

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP): Lou Savarese hopes Michael Tyson's
mind is not completely on boxing.

A distracted Tyson might be Savarese's best chance of
springing an upset in Saturday night's 10-round outdoor bout at
Hampden Park.

The match will be aired live by Indosiar on Sunday at 04.00
a.m. and delayed viewing at 11.00 a.m. Jakarta Time.

There were rumors that Tyson wanted out of the match, already
postponed once, because of the murder last week of close friend
Darell Baum. His trip to Britain was delayed four days until
Sunday so Tyson could attend the funeral.

Tyson, however, said he is a professional, and besides, Baum
would have wanted him to fight. So maybe his friend's death will
spur Tyson to a top performance. He also has a good reason to
concentrate on the task at hand because a loss would derail a
chance to challenge heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Another distraction could be Tyson's falling out with promoter
Frank Warren over US$650,000 owed on jewelry the former
heavyweight champion bought when he was in London before he
stopped Julius Francis in the second round Jan. 29.

Tyson has publicly denied reports that he hit Warren and
threatened to throw him through a window. Warren declines
comment, but he did not accompany Tyson to Glasgow from London on
Wednesday night or attend a news conference Thursday, and he is
not expected to attend the fight.

The 196 centimeter Savarese, who weighed in Friday at 108.5
kilograms, has a distinct size advantage over Tyson, 100
kilograms, who appears shorter than his listed height of 182
centimeters. But Tyson, who will be 34 next Friday, appears to be
too quick for Savarese, even though he has slowed with age and
inactivity 12 fights in 10 years.

Tyson also is a harder puncher than Savarese, who will be 35
July 14.

Tyson (47-3, 41 knockouts) has two losses to Evander
Holyfield, one in the infamous Bite Fight, a fifth-round knockout
of Francois Botha, a one-round no-contest in which he knocked
down Orlin Norris after the bell and the quick win over Francis.

An upset would put Savarese (39-3, 32 knockouts) in position
for a possible challenge to Lewis, even though it would be only
his fourth win in the last seven fights. A loss probably would
end his career.

One of the wins was a first-round technical knockout in 1998
of a faded James "Buster" Douglas, who became heavyweight
champion in 1990 when he stopped Tyson in the 11th round of one
boxing's greatest upsets. The losses were on a 12-round decision
to George Foreman, a fifth-round knockout by David Izon in 1997
and a 10-round decision to Michael Grant June 19, 1999, in which
he was knocked down twice.

The fight is expected to be attended by at least 40,000 fans.

The match will be preceded by an IBF junior welterweight tile
defense by Zab Judah of Brooklyn, New York, against Jason Rowland
of London.