Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1998 | 11:12 a.m.
THREE MISTAKES right in a row and Mike Tyson is no longer a sure thing to be reinstated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
He was, a month ago. It was going to be a slam dunk.
But now he may not even convert the layup.
Tyson, self-destructive fool that he is, has single-handedly managed to change the odds. Once in his favor, it's now no better than 50-50 that he'll be reinstated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission when it convenes for a hearing on licensing the ex-heavyweight champ Sept. 19.
Despite what some may have wished, thought or hoped, the commission was once going to relicense Tyson. Here's why: Until last month, while his conduct may not have been exemplary, he had managed to avoid embarrassing himself and had stayed off the police blotter since having his license lifted by the NSAC July 9, 1997; and the threat of litigation on Tyson's behalf against the State of Nevada if the commission arbitrarily blocked his return to the ring was more than very real, it was immense.
But that was then.
This is now: Tyson is acting crazy and the NSAC can, in good consciousness, vote against relicensing him on the grounds he isn't making an effort to reform or mend his spontaneous-combustion ways.
The commission could rightly ascertain that allowing Tyson back in the ring is inviting trouble similar to the night he bit Evander Holyfield's ears during a championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden. With Tyson acting like a ticking time bomb, the NSAC could deny him a license under the premise that he could once again unravel in the ring and spark an incident or series of incidents that would bring boxing to its knees.
Relicensing this very explosive man has become a risky proposition.
And if he isn't relicensed he need only to look in the mirror to see the reason why. In a nutshell: He needlessly involved New Jersey in his relicensing appeal when it was Nevada that lifted his license; he lost his temper and used the ugliest word in the English language in front of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board; and, Monday, he managed to attract the police in Maryland after striking two men who were involved in a three-car accident that included a vehicle driven by Tyson's wife, Monica Turner.
In quick order, Tyson has alienated Nevada regulators because of his New Jersey fling; shown himself to be incapable of conducting himself with proper decorum even while throwing himself to the mercy of the New Jersey board; and proven to be a road-raging menace after he takes it upon himself to punch one man and kick another, simply because they were unfortunate enough to be in a fender bender with his wife.
Given the new circumstances, the NSAC has multiple options when it faces Tyson later this month. It could throw caution to the wind and license him; it could license him under the proviso he doesn't fight until 1999, a compromise of sorts; it could license him with the understanding his first fight back will be in New Jersey; or it can out-and-out deny him a license and tell him to apply again next July.
Of course he could just go away, withdraw his hearing request and fight overseas if he's so inclined.
Now that's wishful thinking.
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