Finkel says there is no contract between Tyson and a K-1 fighter
By Jerry Campany
Mike Tyson's proposed fight in Hawaii may end up being contested where so many of Tyson's other fights have been held -- in the court room.
Shelly Finkel, Tyson's adviser, told the Star-Bulletin yesterday that as far as he is concerned, there is no contract between his fighter and K-1, a mixed martial arts group that proposed a boxing match between Tyson and Jerome Le Banner to the Hawaii state boxing commission this month.
"They breached the contract, we are not fighting in Hawaii," Finkel said.
Because the contract prohibits any of the participants from talking about it, Finkel declined to say what the specific breach was other than to say submitting a K-1 fighter as a prospective opponent was out of line.
Finkel has changed his stance since last week when he told the Star-Bulletin that the contract would be honored as long as a suitable opponent was brought before him.
K-1 president Scott Coker, who has a contract signed by Tyson for his comeback fight, is not going down without a fight, though.
"He (Finkel) is greatly mistaken," Coker said. "If anyone breached the contract, it is Mike. We still have Sept. 11 and are going forward. We are not going to walk away from this."
Shocker. K-1 didn't have Tyson?
The only way you'll ever see Tyson in a K-1 ring in 2004 fighting with K-1 rules is if 1) he gets beaten by Danny Williams or 2) K-1 hands him a fighter who is half dead.
K-1 can "go forward" all they want, but you can't squeeze blood out of a rock.