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Tyson: No Altercation Promoter does not attend press conference
Posted: Friday June 23, 2000 02:38 AM
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Mike Tyson blocked and slipped loaded questions Thursday at a news conference for his fight against Lou Savarese. "I love Frank Warren," the former heavyweight champion replied when ask if he had attacked the promoter of Saturday night's bout, as has been reported in British papers. "Did you hit him?" "No sir." "Did you threaten to throw him out a window?" "No sir?" "Why?" someone shouted. "Because there is a big line ahead of him," a smiling Tyson said. Warren did not attend the news conference.
Anne-Marie Hudson, a spokeswoman for Warren, said he had intended to fly to Glasgow after a meeting with his lawyers in London, but that he missed his flight. She said Warren plans a lawsuit over some published accounts about the alleged incident. A London jeweler claims Tyson still owes $650,000 for jewelry, including a diamond-encrusted watch, that he purchased before his fight against Julius Francis on Jan. 29 at Manchester, England. The fighter was served with legal papers Thursday. It is known that Tyson expected Warren to pay for the jewelry and the promoter refused. Tyson earned at least $8 million for a second-round stoppage of Francis, and he is to make another $8 Saturday night when he takes to the ring on a soccer field. Savarese is getting $850,000. It was announced before the news conference began a half-hour late that only questions pertaining to boxing would be entertained. So the first question was, how did Tyson feel about opposition from women's groups and members of the Scottish parliament to his fighting here? "I love them and so does God," said Tyson, who served three years in prison for rape. Shortly thereafter, he was asked, "Did you have a crackup with Frank Warren?" "I don't sell crack," Tyson shot back. There also have been rumors that Tyson wanted to get out of the fight because of the murder of his friend, Darryl Baum, on a Brooklyn, N.Y., street last week. Tyson, scheduled to fly to London June 14, postponed the trip until Sunday so he could attend Baum's funeral. "He was my best friend for around 25 years," Tyson said. "I'm a professional, and he would have wanted me to fight." Savarese was virtually ignored at the news conference. The veteran of 42 pro fights (39-3, 32 knockouts), who will turn 35 July 14, figures to give Tyson a tougher fight than Francis did, but Tyson is a solid favorite. Asked when he thought he might be ready to challenge heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, Tyson, who will be 34 on June 30, said, "One fight at a time." The fight is scheduled to begin about 11 p.m. local time before at least 40,000 fans at Hampden Park. It will be televised on a delayed basis by Showtime beginning at 9:30 p.m. EDT in the United States. The telecast will open with an IBF junior welterweight title defense by Zab Judah (22-0, 1 no-contest, 17 knockouts) of Brooklyn against Jason Rowland (24-1, 14 knockouts) of London. At the news conference, Judah thanked various people for his being in Scotland for the fight. "Thank me," Tyson said.
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