Boxing: Pressure builds to deny Tyson licence

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Lewis 'must defend title against Tyson'

The prerssure increased on Mike Tyson yesterday when the Association of Boxing Commissions recommended that other states follow Nevada by denying him a boxing licence.

The ABC's suggestion is not binding, but politics, both within and outside boxing, could work against Tyson. The ABC is against having a Federal Boxing Commission, and the group's president, Tim Lueckenhoff, said that for that reason: "I think it's important that we as an association stick together."

"We understand that each state and Indian reservation has its own criteria for issuing a licence," Lueckenhoff said, but he added that he had the unanimous support of the ABC's 13-member board of directors in making the recommendation. He said Nevada was among the 49 states and Indian reservations that are ABC members.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission voted 4-1 on 29 Jan not to issue a licence to Tyson so he could fight Lewis on 6 April in Las Vegas. Lewis has said his WBC mandatory defence against Tyson will not happen in April and that he might fight another opponent. Lewis, however, remains under contract for a Tyson fight, and the WBC has let it be known that it expects Lewis to fight Tyson, their No 1 challenger, before fighting anyone else.

Shelly Finkel, Tyson's adviser, said seven states have expressed interest in staging the Tyson-Lewis fight.

Eddie Gossage, the general manager of the Texas Motor Speedway at Fort Worth, said he spoke with Finkel and Main Events, Lewis's American promoter. Dickie Cole, the boxing coordinator of Texas, has said Tyson could get a licence there. He has not applied, but is supposed to apply to California for a licence in about two weeks' time.