Mike Tyson and Acelino Freitas got off to fast, promising starts in their latest bouts, but both faded into disappointing finishes.
Tyson’s fifth defeat in a 57-bout career was his first loss in a non-title fight. Freitas lost for the first time in his 36-bout career.
Although Freitas showed more skill for most of the 10 rounds he lasted against Diego Corrales on Saturday, Tyson showed more courage in his fourth-round technical knockout loss to Danny Williams eight nights earlier.
Fighting on an injured left leg, Tyson stuck it out until his limited mobility–along with his ring rust from a 17-month hiatus–left him a literal sitting target dropped by determined, fearless underdog Williams.
Tyson and Freitas may have both fallen as much from exhaustion as punches. But bloodied Tyson fought until he could not rise. And two days after his loss, he arrived in a wheelchair at a sports clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., for knee surgery.
“He couldn’t walk on his left leg,” said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Emerson, who performed a one-hour operation. He speculated that Tyson made it through the fight largely on adrenaline. “I don’t think there’s any doubt the injury affected his performance.”
Shelly Finkel, Tyson’s adviser, agreed: “I kept screaming, `Throw the right [hand]!’ But he couldn’t, because he couldn’t put pressure on his left leg. After the fight, Mike told me, `The pain was excruciating, but I thought I could get him.'”
Emerson said some of the extensive tearing of the meniscus cartilage in the left knee could have existed even before Tyson suddenly favored his left leg during the fight’s first round.
The prognosis for recovery “is great,” Emerson said. “I have no doubt he could fight again.” Tyson is already undergoing rehabilitative therapy, “and we could have the knee 90 percent healed within six weeks,” the surgeon said. “In eight weeks, he could begin training in the gym.”
Finkel declined to speculate on Tyson’s boxing future, saying, “We haven’t talked about that yet.”
Freitas’ future is just as uncertain, but more for emotional than physical reasons.
For all his indomitable spirit in past fights, Freitas called it quits on his feet after Corrales knocked him down for the third time. His declining to continue brought boos from Brazilian fans in the crowd at Foxwoods (Conn.) Resort and Casino. That was a far cry from the adulation that once elevated Freitas to national hero stature in Brazil.
Freitas had things his way for the first half of the scheduled 12-round bout, outboxing Corrales. But when Freitas’ frantic pace slowed, Corrales’ power emerged.
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By flooring his opponent in the eighth and ninth rounds, Corrales caught up on the scorecards. Freitas spit out his mouthpiece both times, gaining valuable seconds to recover, but being penalized a point after the second time.
When Corrales put him down a third time in the 10th, Freitas rose and walked to his corner after shaking his head no when referee Michael Ortega asked if he wanted to continue.
Just jabs
Talk of a rematch with Tyson continues, but Williams’ first payday for his stunning victory is slated for Oct. 9 in London against Oleg Maskaev. . . . Incomplete numbers showed 200,000 to 250,000 household buys for the Tyson-Williams pay-per-view telecast on Showtime on July 30 and 150,000 to 200,000 for Erik Morales’ unanimous decision over Carlos Hernandez in their junior lightweight title bout on HBO pay-per-view the following night. . . .
Chicago heavyweight Andrew Golota’s reward for fighting Chris Byrd, one of the heavyweight titleholders, to a draw April 17, will apparently be another heavyweight champ. Golota vs. John Ruiz is scheduled for Nov. 13 at a site not yet chosen. Byrd is to defend his title against Jameel McCline on the same card. . . .
Upcoming local cards will feature unbeaten welterweight Luciano Perez and middleweight Miguel Hernandez against as yet unnamed opponents Friday night at Hawthorne Race Course; and cruiserweight Chris Thomas and junior middleweight Angel Hernandez also facing opponents “to be announced” in Aug. 27 bouts at the Ramada Hotel O’Hare in Rosemont. Heavyweights Carl Davis and Art Binkowski are slated to face each other on that card.