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Tuesday, April 17
Updated: April 25, 10:49 PM ET
 
Tyson to face Izon

Associated Press

NEW YORK – Mike Tyson, who says he wants a title bid against Lennox Lewis, will settle for fighting David Izon on June 2 in Washington.

The 10-round fight was confirmed Wednesday by Showtime, which will televise it live beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Lewis will defend the WBC-IBF heavyweight titles against Hasim Rahman early Sunday in South Africa. The fight will be televised by HBO on Saturday night in the United States.

Tyson appeared set to fight Izon in Detroit late last year, but Izon was replaced by Andrew Golota, who quit after the second round Oct. 20 in the Palace of Auburn Hills.

On Jan. 16, it was announced that Tyson's boxing license in Michigan was suspended for three months and he was fined $205,000 for failing to take a pre-fight urine test. Two days later, it was revealed the former undisputed champion had tested positive for marijuana after the fight, but no action was taken.

It appeared Tyson might fight Izon on May 19 in Washington, and a bid was made by an Australian group for a June fight in Sydney.

Izon, a native of Nigeria, who will turn 33 April 29, turned pro in 1993, and has a 27-3 record, with 23 knockouts. He has seven fights since he was stopped in the fifth round by Michael Grant on Jan. 1, 1998.

Tyson, who will be 35 on June 30, has a 48-3 record, with 42 knockouts.




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Forget David Izon, Mike Tyson wants a shot at Hasim Rahman.
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