By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

The following article was published in the PWTorch Newsletter ten years ago. It's an interesting comparison between the reaction to Floyd Mayweather participating in a WWE storyline today and Mike Tyson ten years ago...

Many possible roles at Wrestlemania, but athletic commissions say it could threaten his boxing future

The WWF's publicity machine is in full force advertising Mike Tyson's potential appearance at Wrestlemania. It's not a done deal yet, and if the boxing establishment has anything to say about it, it won't happen.

Don King appeared on the Jan. 5 Raw is War to add credence to Jim Ross's announcement a week earlier that the WWF had begun to negotiate with the Tyson for an appearance Wrestlemania.

"Boy, am I excited," King said. "Boy, am I excited. My creative juices are flowing like never before. We are about to bring you one of the greatest extravaganzas ever known to mankind. Wrestlemania and Mike Tyson joined together for one of the greatest explosions in pay-per-view you've ever seen. Boy, am I excited. We're not quite there yet, though. I know you want to get excited. We have to dot a few i's and cross a few t's. But when we get it together, Vince McMahon and I will bring to you one of the greatest shows on earth. Wrestlemania and Mike Tyson, March 29th. We're working on it. Don't touch that dial and stay informed because we have an affordable pleasure at an affordable price and a pleasure you can't afford to miss. Wrestlemania, Mike Tyson, March 29, be there. We're working on it, Vince McMahon and I, we'll get it done."

The Jan. 4 Boston Herald ran a brief story on the Tyson-WWF deal, headlined, "Commission opposes Tyson appearance." Says the article: "Although the Massachusetts Boxing Commission would not have jurisdiction over the wrestling show (which is regarded as "entertainment" rather than bona fide sport), commission chairman Dr. Wilbert McClure said he will send a letter strongly opposing Tyson's appearance in Massachusetts while the former heavyweight champion is still under suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for biting both of Evander Holyfield's ears in their fight last June."

Said McClure: "It seems clear to me that this would violate the spirit, if not the letter, of his suspension. Remember, too, that his suspension isn't necessarily over in one year. It's 'indefinite' and is just going to be reviewed [after one year]. I would think something like this might affect the thinking of the Nevada people when it came time to consider lifting it in July. I just think it's bad for everyone concerned."

A friend of Tyson, Steve Lott, told the Associated Press: "Mike wants to box again and Don wants to make money. I can't believe he [King] would be so stupid as to jeopardize Mike's chances of getting his boxing license back."

Nevada State Athletic Commissioner Jim Nave told the AP: "Any attempt by Mr. Tyson to circumvent the spirit and intention of the commission would not be viewed favorably by the commission. Consistent with the position of the commission since last July, I feel that we really shouldn't comment on this latest event. I feel the commission should keep itself in a position so that we cannot be accused of putting any stipulations or conditions on this matter."

WWF Canadian promoter Carl De Marco told the AP: "If this deal goes through, it is expected to be the biggest pay-per-view in the world to date."

For that to be the case, Tyson and King are going to have to withstand the threats from the athletic commissions across the country, which means the WWF will have to ante up big money. The risk to the WWF may be smaller than some would expect. Tyson and King have no potential to make money on PPV during Tyson's suspension, therefore the WWF is their only vehicle to earn a multi-million dollar payday. They may be willing to take a percentage of the profits rather than have their entire fee be millions of dollars up front. Already the publicity the WWF has garnered has moved them back into the conscience of the mainstream media.

For the match to have any chance of being "the biggest PPV in the world to date," Tyson would have to face Hulk Hogan in a match. Anything short of that, such as Tyson being a special referee, will keep it on the scale of a typical, strong wrestling PPV. If Tyson were to fight, say, Ken Shamrock in a shoot, it would probably fall under the jurisdiction of the establishment banning him. If he were part of a worked match, the boxing community would frown on such "deception."

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