Tyson-Nielsen, another raw deal

By James Bakama Marketing in professional boxing can today be so deceptive that even the greatest mismatch can be hyped into the “greatest” of fights. Catchy superlatives like “Rumble in the Coliseum” and “Thunder in the Garden,” are just some of the tricks promoters use in attracting fortunes in gate collections and pay-per-view television deals. The Mike Tyson versus Brian Nielsen fight in Copenhagen at the weekend is the latest example of the raw deals fight fans get today. Statistics this time provided promoters with a priceless weapon. Who wouldn’t have expected a thriller or even an upset. Afterall, Tyson was not only ageing, but also trying to peel off a layer of rust after a year of inactivity against a white hope, whose record read 62-1(43)? But, come the first gong, and most of the 25,000 fans at the Parken stadium realised that the promoters had pulled off another trick. All Nielsen could give his now booing fans was bravery in a fight that should have ended much earlier. I only hope the flabby Dane’s fans had the nerve to re-examine the specifics after their bleeding hero being technically knocked out in the sixth. Nielsen is yet another classic case of pampered boxers that build “impressive” records at the expense of fake opposition to get good rankings in prize fighting’s sanctioning bodies. That he had slugged it out with five former champions, amongst them Larry Holmes, was enough to breed misconception until you realised that these opponents were actually at the time over the hill. It’s good that Tyson has realised the win could breed false confidence and called for atleast two more build-ups before taking on the Hasim Rahman-Lennox Lewis winner. But, these, had better be against credible opponents. There will be no substitute for a more serious build-up to the fight against either Rahman or Lewis. Bombastic tune-ups against paper opponents will only send Tyson to the slaughter board.