Mystery over Tyson retreat

Mike Tyson's unfailing capacity to generate headlines from the unexpected has been evident throughout his career. He succeeded once again when he made a last-minute decision to withdraw an application to the New Jersey Boxing Commission for the return of his boxer's licence.

Instead he has requested that the governing body which banned him from the ring, the Nevada State Athletic Commission, should consider relicensing him as soon as possible.

Tyson's decision came only 15 hours before the New Jersey Commission had been due to announce the result of its deliberations into the case, three weeks after a hearing when, under questioning from his own lawyer, the former world heavyweight champion had lost his composure and sworn on national television.

Tyson was banned from the ring as a consequence of the moment when he bit a lump from Evander Holyfield's right ear during their World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation world title fight on June 28, 1997, in Las Vegas.

Despite his angry outburst at the hearing, it was expected he would be given his licence back by the commission, largely because of his ability to generate millions of dollars through another come back.

Yesterday, speculation suggested the Tyson camp had received a tip-off that the verdict might go against them and that he had cancelled his application to save face. But his boxing adviser Shelley Finkel denied this, saying that they were bowing to a growing perception that Tyson should be judged by the commission which had banned him.

"We did it because what we'd been hearing from all the commissions was that Mike was hurting them," said Finkel, "and we can always go back to New Jersey if it's bad in Nevada."

The news was welcomed by Mills Lane, the feisty Reno judge who disqualified Tyson against Holyfield. Speaking on American television, he said: "He should have gone for Nevada and faced the music. You cannot dance around it. Going to Nevada is what he should have done in the first place."

The executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Mark Ratner, said that he had been surprised to receive Tyson's request but that a "fair and impartial" hearing could be set up within two to three weeks.