Philippines fight brews over Tyson bout

Controversial boxer Mike Tyson has won a license to fight in Georgia, U.S.

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines' tourism secretary has earned the ire of local boxing promoters for his offer to host an upcoming heavyweight bout between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon floated the idea of staging the boxing match in the Philippines as an effort to boost the country's sagging tourism industry.

He touted the fight as a sequel to 1975's legendary "Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

But local boxing promoters were unanimous in rejecting the idea as impractical, saying the project would require the Philippines to put up a budget of at least $100 million.

"What for? We are already suffering. Will it be worth spending so much to say that the Philippines is still standing?" promoter Rod Nazario was quoted by the Philippine Star as saying.

"Why not just use the money for a more viable project? Too much money is involved."

Promoters also said the controversial Tyson's attitude would send a wrong and dangerous signal to Filipino boxing fans.

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"His (Tyson's) outrageous behavior shouldn't be tolerated," said Gabriel Elorde.

"If the purpose is for the Philippines to be advertised and promoted, the fight may not be necessary since we are already known in the world because of the joint U.S.-Philippine military training exercise (to repress Abu Sayyaf terrorists)," Elorde told the Philippine Star.

Instead, the promoters said the government should first stabilize the country's economy and solve the peace and order problems before embarking on such an ambitious project.

Exposure

But Gordon is keen to host the fight saying the Philippines could use all the exposure it could get.

"Hopefully this fight will focus the cameras of the world towards a peaceful Philippines, a sports-minded Philippines," Gordon told ABS-CBN television.

Gordon said he had urged the United States-based Philippine tourism coordinator to "make a very big attempt, a never-say-die attempt to get this bout."

He admitted the country is suffering from an image problem largely due to the peace and order problems in the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao where the Abu Sayyaf maintains camps.

The Abu Sayyaf is linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

Not wholesome

The Lewis-Tyson title fight was scheduled to be held in April in Nevada, U.S. but was cancelled after the Nevada Boxing Commission declined to give Tyson a license.

That decision stems from a brawl initiated by Tyson during a press conference to promote the event.

Since then, promoters have scrambled to find another site but several U.S. states have refused to license Tyson.

The Texas Motor Speedway on Monday withdrew itself from consideration because it didn't consider Tyson a wholesome attraction.

But Tyson managed to get a license to fight in the southern state of Georgia.

The fight is still being shopped to several cities, though, and both the site and date of the bout are in question.

Georgia's top boxing administrator said Tyson received a license last week for a possible bout in Atlanta on June 8.

But Thomas Mishou, administrator of the Georgia Boxing Commission, said other cities are also in contention for the fight.