Sadly, the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission voted unanimously at Tuesday’s public hearing to grant former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson a license to fight in Washington, D.C., which may result in a June 8 bout between Tyson and current champion Lennox Lewis at the MCI Center.
Proponents of a Lewis-Tyson fight argue that this much-anticipated boxing match would generate millions of dollars for the struggling District economy. Mayor Anthony Williams has already endorsed a possible fight.
“I am trying to do everything I can to get the economy going again,” Williams said. “We’re in a hole … I want to leave the door open to every opportunity to get out.”
To his credit, Williams is concerned about the city’s economy. But Tyson, as well as being a convicted rapist, is a professional disgrace. He bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1997 fight, admitted on another occasion to trying to break an opponent’s arm in 1999 and allegedly bit Lewis’s leg during a press conference in January. Our city should not condone anything Tyson does, particularly any event that would make him 17.5 million dollars, writes The Washington Post.
Impassioned citizens came to Tuesday’s hearing and argued for a Lewis-Tyson fight. As well as citing the economic benefits, they said that the city shouldn’t judge Tyson’s personally. But Tyson’s behavior inside the ring alone makes him a danger to others. And the D.C. Boxing Commission, while it is not obligated to judge appropriate standards of personal behavior, should judge appropriate boxing behavior. According to Josef Mason, director of the Colorado Boxing Commission, which refused to grant Tyson a license, “The job of the commission really is to look inside the conduct of the participants inside the ring. We’re not a criminal court here. We’re looking at the infractions inside the ring. I felt that, based on Tyson’s past history, that that was conclusive enough.”
The economic argument for having the fight is also weak. Tourism officials estimate that the bout could generate between $6 and $10 million dollars, which would probably benefit most local hotels and restaurants that cater to tourists. But those expected revenues are paltry; they amount to just one-one hundredth of a percent to the District’s gross income, according to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. While the looming budget deficit has put constraints on economic stimulus measures, a Tyson fight should not be seen as a quick fix.
This miniscule economic benefit of the fight?as well as the eager desire for sports and boxing afficionados to watch it?must be balanced against the District’s public image. Even The Greater Washington Board of Trade, which would benefit from a Lewis-Tyson fight, spoke out against the fight, saying that “respect for ethics and athletics are more important than any speculative financial return the Tyson fight would bring the city.” Tyson’s volatile behavior might result in personal harm to others and his controversial presence in our city might very well set off a negative backlash across the country. Clearly the District needs money but, even more, it needs to maintain a sense of decency.
