Tyson Set To Fight Golota

Mike Tyson will fight Andrew Golota Oct. 20 in the Palace at Auburn Hills, Mich.

The pay-per-view bout was announced by Showtime on Wednesday.

"We're glad it's made," said Shelly Finkel, Tyson's adviser. "He's been training and he's looking forward to looking good."

It will be Tyson's first fight in the United States since his controversial no-contest against Orlin Norris last Oct. 23. It also will be the former undisputed heavyweight champion's first pay-per-view match since he knocked out Francois Botha with a single right-hand punch Jan. 16, 1999.

A victory would be a big step for Tyson on the road to a hoped-for challenge to heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. Botha is promoted by Main Events, also the American promoter for Lewis. Golota challenged Lewis for the WBC title in 1997 and was stopped in the first round.

Both men have gained reputations of being dirty fighters, and those reputations should help sell the bout.

Golota twice was disqualified for repeated low blows against Riddick Bowe in fights in 1996.

Tyson, of course, is known for biting both of Evander Holyfield's ears, which led to his disqualification, the revocation of his license and a $3 million fine by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The Botha fight was Tyson's first since he regained his license and since he served jail time in Maryland for assaulting two motorists. The no-contest against Norris resulted from Norris being unable to continue after injuring a knee when he was knocked down by a punch thrown after bell ending the first round.

Tyson's next two fights were in Britain, a second-round technical knockout of Julius Francis Jan. 29 at Manchester, England, and a 38-second stoppage of Lou Savarese June 24 at Glasgow, Scotland. After that fight was stopped, Tyson knocked referee John Coyle to the floor with an elbow and threw punches at Savarese. He was fined $187,500 by the British Boxing Board of Control, but he was not suspended.

Besides the disqualifications against Bowe, Golota bit Samson Po'uha on a shoulder in 1995 and butted Danell Nicholson in 1996, but won both fights.

In his last fight, Golota outpointed Norris on June 16.

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