Promoting without a fight: Tyson-Holyfield

It was the fight that nobody wanted to see, and in the end it never happened – Tyson versus Holyfield for the third time. In early 2008, talk surfaced that the man whose career was flagging, Holyfield, was to fight the man whose career had completed stagnated, Tyson. Holyfield was prepared to do it all again as he sought the world title:

But Holyfield told the BBC's Inside Sport programme: "It's up to me as an adult what I want to do.
"Tyson wants to regain his character. Both of us want a good showing - so the best man would come out on top."

A year has nearly passed. Last month Holyfield was defeated in his title fight against Russian manbear Nicolai Valuev, and the rumours have returned. The two Americans would eschew America to stage the fight in the boxing capital of the world, Abu Dhabi. There's just one problem this time – apparently, neither of them want to fight.

Holyfield's manager is reported in the Sun as saying the following:

Holyfield, 46, twice beat Mike Tyson, known as the baddest man on the planet, in his prime.
But stories they were about to fight again have been dismissed by Holy’s manager Ken Sanders.
He said: “It’s not true Evander is fighting Tyson. A third fight with Tyson is just not happening.
“In fact we are talking to Valuev’s team about a re-match in April.
“Tyson is walking around at something like 280lbs and couldn’t fight if he wanted to — anyway he’s a coward.”

Meanwhile cowardly Mike was busy on the internet updating people on his plans on officialmiketyson.com:

The rumors about me fighting Evander Holyfield are just that, rumors. Last week the rumors had me making a marriage proposal to a girl from England and this week they have me fighting Evander in October. The facts are, I am promoting my documentary, TYSON, which comes out April 24th on the big screen, working on a book and looking forward to the release of the new EA Sports Fight Night 4 video game.

His denial of the marriage proposal is a reference to a story that the Daily Star ran on January 18th, which, as it has been totally refuted, would constitute an interesting example of basing a story on nothing. Amongst the details, which include a proposal by email (well, we know he updates his website...), a few words from a friend, and a final clue as to why the article exists at all with the ultimate sentence:

Aisleyne, who finished third on Big Brother, is set to reveal  details of her relationship with Tyson in a book Surviving Guns, Gangs And Glamour, which is due out in May.

Ah, so there is a book which is married, if you'll excuse the expression, to that particular revelation. And around the time of the Tyson-Holyfield rumours last year, Evander was promoting his book too – it came out on March 3 2008.

So if Tyson doesn't want the fight, and Holyfield doesn't want the fight, then who does, and what is there to gain from pushing it?