Tyson hearing delayed
Boxer misses deadline for psychological reports
Posted: Wednesday September 30, 1998 01:37 AM
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Mike Tyson leaves the hospital after a mandatory psychological evaluation AP |
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) -- Saturday's hearing to determine whether former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will get back his boxing license has been postponed until October, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Marc Ratner said Tuesday.
"The hearing has been postponed because the medical reports are not here yet," Ratner said, adding the new date will not be set before October 5.
Tyson had his license revoked by the NSAC after he bit off a portion of Evander Holyfield's ear in their world title bout here in June, 1997.
At the September 19 hearing about Tyson's application for reinstatement, the boxer was ordered to undergo psychiatric testing and make the results available to the commission for evaluation.
The NSAC said they they were displeased that Tyson had undergone only 19 hours of psychiatric testing and counseling following the revocation of his license during July of 1997.
Tyson was tested last week at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston but the results will not be available to the five members of the NSAC until Wednesday, two days later than the deadline set by the commission at the first hearing.
"The medical reports should have been here by 5 p.m. Monday," said Ratner. "Now we're supposed to have them Wednesday. The commission needs time to look them over."
Dr. Elias Ghanem, chairman of the NSAC, said, "I'm very displeased that the report is not here. I'm disappointed that we had to wait so late to hear from them and then they did not have what we asked for and what they promised they would provide."
Ghanem and Dr. James Nave, another member of the NSAC, want more information about allegations that Tyson struck two middle-aged men in August in the aftermath of a minor automobile accident in Maryland.
"The Maryland issue is still on the table," said Ghanem. "We're not giving up on it, and they're going to have to answer to it. If they don't then he [Tyson] has a major problem.
"This is not an open-and-shut case. There is no obligation on the part of this commission to do anything but listen.
"Tyson's people are going to have to come back here and tell us exactly what we want to know," Ghanem said. "If anyone thinks that its going to be a slam dunk, I'd say they were mistaken.
"We're going to get the information on Tyson that we want, not just the information they [Tyson and his representatives] want us to hear.
"There were many issues left unresolved [after the first hearing]. It wasn't the least bit satisfactory. I wasn't happy at all with it."
"If I don't get the answers to the questions I have, then I don't see how I can vote in [Tyson's] favor," said Nave. "This commission needs to know the answer to some difficult and pointed questions, and if they don't want to give them to us, how could we vote to license him under those circumstances?"
Tyson's new advisor Shelly Finkel said he is aware of the NSAC's concern, adding "We'll defer to our attorneys," regarding the Maryland incident, which could be resolved at a hearing October 2.
"I've heard he [Tyson] doesn't have anything to worry about in Maryland," said Ghanem. "So, if that's the case, he should just step forward and answer the questions."
Added Finkel, "If we comply with their [the NSAC's] requests and answer their questions thoroughly, candidly and honestly, how can they say no?"
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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