Mike Tyson Confronts Mike Tyson
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Mike Tyson confronts Mike Tyson. The former heavyweight champ goes before heavyweight regulators in the state of Nevada just a after a week of going wild in a news conference. For a closer look, let's go to John Giannone of CNN/"Sports Illustrated," who is live in Vegas this morning with us. John, good morning.</s>JOHN GIANNONE, CNN/"SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": Good morning, Bill. The meeting is at 1:00 local time, 4:00 in the east. A five- member panel of the Nevada Athletic Commission wants to look Mike Tyson in the eye, listen to his own words come from his mouth about what occurred last week in New York and about some other things as well. An incident sparked by Tyson in which at absolute melee occurred. It was at a press conference that was supposed to announce the fight between Tyson and Lennox Lewis, scheduled as of right now for April 6th here at MGM Hotel here in Las Vegas. That incident left Tyson bloody and enraged and Lewis accusing Tyson of biting him on the leg. Now opinions are strong in this count, and tensions are high as to how this is going to go, but trying to read the minds of these five commission members is kind of like trying to read tea leaves.</s>MARC RATNER, NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC HANDS: This is a problem that's going to escalate. It's going to get worse and worse. Someday, somebody is going to get knifed or killed at one of these things, and I certainly don't want the blood on our hands.</s>TONY ALAMO JR., NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSIONER: This is not about economy, it's not about the city. This is about one particular fighter. Mr. Mike Tyson. And with the things that he has done, the things that he has done recently in the past, the issues that he has brought up. I need to focus, and I have been doing so, focusing on just that.</s>GIANNONE: Now, interestingly, Ratner said last week that Tyson is out here to try and fight for the right it fight on April 6th. But he said anybody who thinks this isn't about the economy or economics is not dealing with reality. And the reality is, that Las Vegas has suffered a tremendous financial hit since the attacks on America on September 11th, and many people out here, some experts are estimating, that as much as $100 million will be pumped into the local economy. So it really does become an issue of money versus morality in a place always known as "Sin City." And there is also this issue, the pending legal problem for Mike Tyson. The Las Vegas police have concluded their investigation into an alleged sexual assault, and they recommended to the district attorney that Tyson be indicted on rape charges. Now, that won't happen before today, so the commission will not deal with that at all. They simply want it hear from Mike Tyson himself who will be here. Tyson was here back in '98 in a similar situation trying to get his license back. At the time he had Ali and Magic Johnson as character witnesses. Today he comes here by himself.</s>HEMMER: John, quickly, will there be a decision made today about Tyson?</s>GIANNONE: There is expected to be a decision after each committee member has about 10 minutes to ask whatever very pointed, very direct questions to Mike Tyson, and it is expected at that time a decision will come. Tyson will need a majority, at least three of the five committee members, to make a positive ruling for him if is he to get his license back and have this fight in this town on April 6th.</s>HEMMER: We shall be watching. John, thanks. John Giannone, live in Vegas this morning. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com