BOXING: HEAVYWEIGHT CHOMP

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The big loser Saturday night was boxing itself. Steve Farhood, the editor in chief of the Ring magazine, wrote in his postfight analysis, "As usual, boxing has responded to prosperity by reminding everyone how ugly and obscene a sport it can be. Shoot itself in the foot? Tonight, boxing pulled the pin and swallowed a hand grenade." As if his performance in the ring wasn't bad enough, Tyson tried to go after a fan who rightly called him a "chump" as he got into his limo. Elsewhere at the MGM Grand, several fans were injured as the agitated crowd of 16,000 poured into the Strip, stampeding at one point when they heard noises that sounded like gunfire.

The only good that would come of "The Sound and the Fury" would be the removal of Tyson from the fight scene--forever. Holyfield told Evan Kanew of CNN/SI on Sunday morning, "He doesn't deserve a rematch." But Tyson will fight again, and suckers will continue to pay money to watch him. Too bad. To paraphrase Shakespeare, nothing in his career would become him like the leaving it.