Tyson clinches first-round knockout victory
Mike Tyson took just 49 seconds to put himself in line for another crack at the heavyweight world title.
The former undisputed world champion hammered Clifford Etienne with a right hand to end their non-title contest in the first round at the Pyramid Arena, Memphis.
It is likely to earn Tyson a rematch against Britain’s Lennox Lewis, the WBC and IBF Heavyweight champion.
Tyson’s first fight since his eighth round defeat to Lewis at the same arena last June started with Etienne, known as the Black Rhino, charging towards him.
The pair wrestled one another to the floor, and when they got up, Etienne was caught by a quick Tyson right hand.
Etienne’s legs buckled under him and he never looked likely to beat the count, taking his mouthguard out just moments after hitting the canvas.
When he left the ring, Etienne was roundly booed and got involved in a confrontation with supporters unhappy the fight was over so quickly.
Although he has spent more time in prison than Tyson, and has a good knockout record against lesser men, Etienne has now been decked 10 times in his career and his come-forward fighting style was made for one good Tyson punch to end it.
The fight itself was far more straightforward than the build-up had been.
Tyson admitted he skipped training for a week and flew to his Las Vegas mansion after a row over money. His trainers walked away saying he was not fit to fight and, with his promoters insisting he was suffering from influenza, the fight was scrapped.
Tyson got a Maori warrior symbol tattooed to the left side of his face and decided two days later to fight after all.
A no-show would almost certainly have scuppered any chances of his rematch with Lewis and – with a huge hole in his 200million US dollars ring earnings and a hefty divorce settlement with his second wife Monica Turner – Tyson needs the cash.
Etienne himself briefly pulled out of the fight before predictably performing a u-turn.
It all just adds to the pulling power of a Lewis rematch.
Lewis ditched plans for a meaningful defence against one of the Klitschko brothers (Vitali and Wladimir) in favour of giving the man he mercilessly destroyed last June a bank-busting rematch.
Tyson seems to have kept his side of the bargain, even if it was well known Etienne had a glass chin.
