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Vegas TKO Mike Tyson
Is the state of Nevada Athletic Commission for real?

When the Nevada Athletic Commission refused to give Iron Mike Tyson his license to fight Lennox Lewis in April, they did not only TKO the former world heavyweight champ, they also sacked Sin City out of a possible $300 million dollars in revenue. Are the folks in Vegas high on crack?

Las Vegas is suffering from the greatest visitor slump in years. The Lennox/Tyson tilt would have promoted an incredible economic growth. Many jobs would have been created, at least for a short time. This is now not to be, since the Commission voted Tyson down by a 4-1 tally.

Most people say the former Champ is washed out and sticking for one last big paycheck. Tyson, still to this day, a worthy opponent. The shenanigans surrounding him create a lot of buzz and controversy giving the fans and sports writers alike a lot to talk about.

I wonder why the Nevada Commission came to that conclusion. We all know Tyson will fight Lewis sometime soon, somewhere else. Are they castigating Tyson for his violent past? Is Vegas suffering from an identity crisis?

Since when have they become the Vatican? Vegas was founded and built with guys just like Tyson. From Howard Hughes to Steve Wynn, the oasis by the desert has always been a place of tough renegades.

After all, this is boxing for crying out loud! These people like to beat the crap out of each other. The melee that occurred last week at the press conference in New York was a bit of showmanship, bad WWF style showmanship, but nevertheless showmanship.

The fight will take place somewhere, sometime this year. Whether will it take place in the US or abroad remains to be seen. Las Vegas, truly fumbled this one. It's not like they are a goody goody city like say, Orlando.

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