Tyson fight off, Mosley rejects Oscar

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003 | 10:04 a.m.

Mike Tyson is out, and so is Shane Mosley.

Both were eliminated Monday from promising fights, and, in each case, it was the fighter himself who indirectly pulled the plug on his respective bout.

Tyson, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, forced his handlers -- after several days of indecision -- to cancel his Saturday fight in Memphis with Cliff Etienne. In a statement issued jointly by the Showtime cable network and Tyson's manager, Shelly Finkel, the former heavyweight champion said he was too sick to fight, yet few are buying that story.

"I'm sorry to let down all my fans in Memphis and around the world, but I am not at 100 percent and I do not want to perform at less than that," Tyson was quoted as saying.

Yet even before his supposed (and relatively unidentified) illness, Tyson had been skipping workouts at the Golden Gloves Gym, alienating his lead trainer (Freddie Roach) and so discouraging an assistant (Jeff Fenech) that he returned home to Australia.

Neither Showtime nor Finkel was optimistic that the fight with Etienne would be rescheduled.

Tyson's failure to fight Etienne is also likely to cost him a payday in excess of $10 million for a rematch with World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, which had been tentative for June 21 in Las Vegas. Lewis may, instead, pursue a fight with Vitali Klitschko.

"He's still a star," Finkel said of Tyson. "He won't be hurting for places to fight."

But for those willing to financially back a Tyson fight, he comes with considerable baggage. With the fight against Etienne off, it marks the 12th time Tyson has pulled out of a fight in his professional career.

The others, and the reason for his withdrawal: 1988, vs. Frank Bruno, due to Tyson injuring his right hand in a street fight; 1988, vs. Bruno again, due to Tyson suffering head and chest injuries in a car accident; 1989, vs. Razor Ruddock, due to Tyson having a virus that led to an inflammation of his ribs; 1990, vs. Alex Stewart, due to Tyson being cut over his right eye while sparring; 1991, vs. Evander Holyfield, due to Tyson's damaged rib cartilage; 1995, vs. Buster Mathis, due to Tyson hurting his right thumb; 1996, vs. Bruce Seldon, due to Tyson's viral bronchitis; 1997, vs. Holyfield again, due to Tyson being cut near his left eye when he was butted while sparring; 2000, vs. Lou Savarese, due to Tyson's own disinterest in the fight soon after it was scheduled; 2001, vs. Brian Nielsen, due to Tyson having a bad back; 2002, vs. Lennox Lewis, due to Ty son biting Lewis at a New York press conference and, as a result, not being licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commissio! n to fight Lewis as scheduled on April 6 at the MGM.

Tyson's inactivity is such that he has fought fewer than 49 complete rounds since 1995.

Another fighter who seemingly could use the work, if not the money, is Mosley, who priced himself out of a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya and prompted Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to officially declare him out of the picture for a fight Sept. 13 in Las Vegas.

Mosley, who defeated De La Hoya in 2000, was seeking in excess of the $4.25 million Arum was offering for the rematch.

"He passed on it, so it's over," Arum said. "We'll find someone else for Oscar to fight."

That someone else is apt to be Fernando Vargas.