Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Smile, don’t fight

Friday, March 15, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

IT WILL BE MOST interesting the night a boxer climbs into the ring at Caesars Palace with his back painted "See You At The MGM." What the heck, it's just the guy expressing his right to free speech. Sure it's commercial speech, but according to two local district courts, the Nevada Athletic Commission can't keep him from using his back to advertise a product.

In the case of boxer Bones Adams it was to advertise online casino Golden Palace.com. Online betting is illegal in Nevada and several other states, but that makes no difference, according to the judges. They saw no problem in turning down the attempt by the NAC to prohibit the use of temporary body painting for advertising a product -- legal or illegal. So Bones painted his body, for a big fee, and the fight was held. Happily, for true boxing fans, Paulie Ayala tattooed Bones' face and belly with his gloves.

The NAC has been struggling to keep professional boxing an athletic sport with some reasonable control. The commissioners thought that heavyweight Mike Tyson had stepped over the line of sporting restraint, and therefore denied him a license to fight in Nevada. If Tyson had taken them to court, he might have received a ruling which said he should be licensed because he and the MGM hotel-casino would suffer financial losses or be deprived of making a living. It doesn't make much difference, because other jurisdictions, with lower standards, have shown their desire to give him a license.

When in court the NAC pointed out that NAC 467.592 provides in pertinent part: "1. Each unarmed combatant must provide himself with a costume, which is subject to the approval of the commission or its representative. 2. Each unarmed combatant must appear in proper attire. The unarmed combatants may not wear the same colors in the ring or, if the contest or exhibition is being held in a fenced area, in the fenced area, without the approval of the commission's representative."

Likewise, NAC 467.598 (1) provides that each "unarmed combatant must be clean and present a tidy appearance."

The NAC concluded that "the use of temporary upper body markings during a contest of unarmed combat is forbidden under Nevada law." The local district courts didn't see it this way.

Should the 2003 Legislature remove the word "combatants" and replace it with "showmen," "human billboards" or just plain "clowns." The latter is probably the most appropriate title, then the contestants could enter the ring to the music of "Send In the Clowns."

Maybe it's too late to save professional boxing. First, it allowed women in the ring. Equal rights to get beat up. Second, it allowed Butterbean to lumber around the ring. Just imagine the large buffet sign he could have painted on his back. Third, came a blow this week when Paula Jones and Tonya Harding were on national television "boxing." I heard that Paula was in deep trouble without Ken Starr and Larry Klayman in her corner. Most appropriately the show was on Fox TV, which also promotes Geraldo Rivera as a newsman.

Our NAC people aren't getting much help in their efforts to get professional boxing on the level of an athletic sport. Maybe they never will, but there is a chance the public will get a gut full of the present nonsense and force the issue. If they don't, some day the participants will no longer enter the ring for a contest but, like professional wrestling, will be advertised as an exhibition. This will at least be truth in advertising.