HOW much is a chewed-up ear worth? At least one year off from boxing and a What are odds that
Tyson will be a good boy?$3-million fine, ruled the Nevada state athletic commission.
Whether that is a stiff-enough penalty depends on if you're a Mike Tyson fan or not.
"A slap on the wrist," say Tyson critics, who feel that the ear job he did on champion Evander Holyfield in their WBA heavyweight title fight calls for a harsher penalty.
"What's the big deal about that real meal?" added a caller, obviously feeling that Tyson got away with mayhem, if not murder. "Heavyweights only fight once a year anyway."
"It's like a death sentence," exclaimed someone in Tyson's corner, which must include promoter Don King.
Moi?
I don't think Tyson should be banned from boxing for life, although I won't be in any hurry to sign up for his next pay-per-view fight. Which, you can bet, will occur in a rematch with Holyfield sometime in late 1998 or early 1999. And you can double-down that bet that it'll be in Las Vegas.
It's basic economics, just as the state of Hawaii reached into its not-so-deep pockets to pay the National Football League to keep the Pro Bowl here.
With its hotels, big spenders and tourist industry, Vegas will make sure that it'll be the host city if or when Tyson fights again.
Tyson's attorney, Oscar Goodman, feels confident Tyson will get his license back. "I know these fellas. He'll be approved in a year."
MIKE Machado, executive secretary of Hawaii's boxing commission, concurs. "I'm curious to see what they will do after the year is up," he said.
Machado thought a flat two-year suspension would have been preferable. "One year is too short. Two years is plenty. After all, he didn't kill anybody. Guys kill people and get less time than that."
Besides, to my way of thinking, Tyson-Holyfield III now has a ready-made intrigue. You know, will he or won't he? Will Tyson bite again or won't he? That's enough to sell tickets. I'm sure even Holyfield must be asking himself the same question.
It used to be that a boxer would only wonder if his opponent would whack him below the belt. You know where. Which is enough to make you cringe. Now, you've also got to worry about your ear, especially during clinches. I mean, you've only got so many places to protect.
So what we have here is that Tyson will be on parole from boxing for at least a year. With time off for good behavior, expect him to be back in the ring again.
If Tyson keeps his nose clean and his mouth shut -- the latter in more ways than one -- the Nevada commission likely will reinstate his license to fight when he reapplies next July.
IT doesn't mean Tyson could fight elsewhere, although he'll probably need the time for R&R anyway. A new federal law requires other states to honor Nevada's action. And it would be foolish for Tyson to try and fight outside of the United States.
That would only antagonize the Nevada boxing regulators. After all, their ruling is a permanent revocation with an annual review. They might not review Tyson too kindly if he flaunts their decision by fighting elsewhere.
One year off, though, might be enough to end Tyson's boxing career. Already we have seen an erosion of his boxing skills after he got out of prison. A year's absence from the ring in a real fight could well accelerate the decline, especially since Tyson has never exhibited a good work ethic.
So, in effect, what the Nevada commission has mandated, is that it's now up to Mike Tyson. Knowing Tyson, he'll blow it. And there's no more fitting punishment than one that's severe and self-inflicted.