Tyson Loses Round Over Ref Commission Sticks To Decision To Go With Original Official

Mitch Halpern, the referee of the first Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fight, will officiate the rematch Saturday night despite a protest by Tyson’s managers.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission voted 4-1 on Thursday to keep Halpern after hearing testimony from managers John Horne and Roy Holloway and promoter Don King.

“The day a fighter can dictate what happens in a fight, I’m gone because then I don’t have any authority anyway,” the 29-year-old Halpern said Thursday night.

Horne said he wasn’t against Halpern personally but that Tyson didn’t want the same referee for the rematch.

“Mike Tyson is totally convinced that this man cannot be fair with him in this fight,” Horne said.

Most observers thought Halpern did a good job in the first fight last Nov. 9, in which Holyfield won the WBA heavyweight championship by stopping Tyson 30 seconds into the 11th round.

Horne also complained that the commission hadn’t picked either Richard Steele or Mills Lane because Holyfield’s people requested they not.

But the commissioners denied this and so did Jim Thomas, Holyfield’s lawyer.

In fact, Thomas told the commissioners at the hearing that Holyfield would be willing to have Lane as referee.

The commissioners voiced their displeasure that Horne had failed to come to their regular meeting last Friday during which Halpern was selected.

Horne also didn’t score any points with the five-member commission when he told them, “Mike Tyson is the reason you people are here and his feelings should be considered.”

Horne, his voice rising, also told the commissioners: “If you guys say you want to tell the world to hell with Mike Tyson, say it.”

Voting to keep Halpern were chairman Elias Ghanem, James Nave, Nat Carasali and Lorenzo Fertitta. Voting to remove Halpern was Luther Mack.