Fight Promoters Determine Free Bout Won’t Hurt Them

Backers of the third Riddick Bowe-Evander Holyfield fight confirmed Tuesday that the bout will go on as scheduled Nov. 4 in Las Vegas, the same night that Mike Tyson fights Buster Mathis Jr. in the same city.

There had been speculation that Bowe-Holyfield on pay-per-view would be moved to another date to avoid competition with Tyson-Mathis, which will be shown for free on Fox earlier in the night.

But Bowe-Holyfield organizers decided to stick with the Nov. 4 date after concluding that the Tyson bout won’t hurt their pay-per-view sales.

“When you go to a restaurant and they give you free appetizers, you’re still going to buy dinner,” said Holyfield’s promoter, Dan Duva.

Ross Greenburg, who will produce the Bowe-Holyfield telecast, said he expects the Tyson bout to be over by the time Bowe-Holyfield begins at 11:30 p.m. EST. If the Tyson bout isn’t over by then, Greenburg said, the Bowe fight will be delayed.

“Viewers will able to see Bowe-Holyfield in its entirety following the conclusion of the Tyson-Mathis fight,” Greenburg said.