After the Nevada State Athletic Commission reinstated
MIKE TYSON's boxing license yesterday, Tyson's advisor
SHELLY FINKEL said that his first fight "would probably not"
be on December 5, as the date "had only been a possible
target," but the fight "would probably be at the MGM Grand."
Finkel: "They have been our buddies" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-
JOURNAL, 10/20). In N.Y., Timothy Smith writes that former
Lakers G MAGIC JOHNSON "insured" the commission that "he
would become Tyson's mentor and personally take a role in
helping Tyson manage his finances." Johnson: "I'll be the
closest guy to him, making all the decisions" (N.Y. TIMES,
10/20). In L.A., Court TV Analyst Michael Berger: "Magic
Johnson was a very important part of the package, for lack
of a better word" (Randy Harvey, L.A. TIMES, 10/20).
Showtime Senior VP/Sports & Entertainment Programming JAY
LARKIN: "Tyson returning is the biggest news for boxing and
pay-per-view in a long time." Larkin predicted that the PPV
interest in Tyson's first fight back could be so high, "it
would shatter" the $100M figure (DAILY VARIETY, 10/20).
