King offers $200m to lure Tyson back

Mike Tyson has turned his injured back on Denmark's Brian Nielsen and withdrawn from their 8 September fight. He is instead considering an amazing offer from his estranged promoter, Don King.

In February 1998, Tyson kicked King out of a car in Hollywood and took sanctuary at the home of Magic Johnson before officially announcing he had split with King and would be suing him for $100m (£70m).

However, it is thought on Monday the pair continued a discussion they started earlier in the summer about a new partnership, and King is rumoured to have proposed an alternative solution to the imminent court battle by suggesting about $200m for three fights. The following day Tyson's back started to hurt and he pulled out of the 10-rounder in Copenhagen.

In theory the Tyson-Nielsen fight will take place in Copenhagen on 13 October but King has been desperate to add a big name to a show he is trying to promote in Beijing. Earlier this month, King postponed his Chinese adventure when the World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, John Ruiz, suffered neck pain. Ruiz is scheduled to defend his title in a third fight against Holyfield in China on 24 November, seven days after King promotes the rematch between Hasim Rahman, with whom King has an exclusive deal, and Lennox Lewis in Las Vegas.

In June, Lewis sued Rahman over a rematch clause in the contract for their fight last April in which Lewis was beaten. A New York judge ruled that Rahman could not defend his titles within 18 months without first meeting Lewis.

If Rahman repeats his win over Lewis, who is reported to be enjoying a relaxing holiday in Jamaica, then King, who has long-term deals with Ruiz and Holyfield, will control all the fighters Tyson needs to meet.

The postponement of the Nielsen fight has delayed the vacant World Boxing Union heavyweight title fight between Britain's Danny Williams and the veteran American Tim Witherspoon.