Boxing: Washington votes to approve licence for Tyson

Mike Tyson took the first step towards winning a licence to fight in Washington DC yesterday. In a preliminary vote, the three-man Washington Boxing and Wrestling Commission unanimously approved a licence for Tyson.

The vote was held via a conference call. Michael Brown, the vice-president of the Washington Boxing and Wrestling Commission, admitted the economic benefits of hosting a world heavyweight title fight between Tyson and Lennox Lewis far outweighed any possible ethical questions.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The ethics were one of the things we took into consideration, but the economic considerations outweighed them."

Brown claimed that he was "pretty confident" that the city will host the bout, with 8 June put forward as a likely date. He added: "What we've done is take the first big step. I would hate to say it's not certain or it is certain. Mr Tyson is just one part of it – Mr Lewis has to apply.

"September 11 has changed a lot of things for us in the United States. The hospitality industry has all been down and this would be a boost for our economy and we're all for it.

"I am pretty confident it will happen in Washington DC. I think 8 June is one of the tentative dates, but it has not been confirmed because that has to be discussed by the committee."