Tyson, Golota ready to rumble

Mike Tyson's boorish behavior at a recent press conference was quite strange. The former heavyweight champion cut loose with a vulgarity-strewn rant that left officials and the media perplexed as to the result of this Friday's match with Andrew Golota (36-4, 29 KO\'s). \nTyson, clearly under the influence of medication, repeatedly outdid himself with ludicrous statements. Sporting a shaved head, Tyson (48-3, 42 KO's) indicated he was not interested in regaining the heavyweight title, but did believe he could "kill" Golota or anyone else who chose to step in the ring with him. His comments ranged from the troubling to the semi-comical, and he ended the conference with typical Tyson class -- "I'm the dumbest ... in this room, but I\'m still getting paid!" \nThis Friday marks the date of the most anticipated heavyweight bout in recent memory. In what is being billed as "Anything Goes," Tyson will take on Golota in a 10-round brawl at the Palace at Auburn Hills, Mich., available via pay-per-view for $49.95. The fighters are regarded as the most controversial in the sport, period. Both have records littered with vicious and flagrant fouls, but have excellent physical abilities, coupled with tremendous punching power. This is a fight-of-the year candidate. The winner of this fight is the rightful challenger to the real heavyweight champion -- Lennox Lewis. \nThe atmosphere will be intense as these two men engage in what Showtime Event Television hopes will be the biggest pay-per-view seller of all time, eclipsing the Tyson-Holyfield rematch, which had over two million buys. \nAt 32 years of age, Golota is an unpredictable and dangerous boxer who has a reputation as one of the dirtiest fighters in the business. He was first noticed after delivering a vicious headbutt, and shortly thereafter, he sunk his teeth into a foe. \nThen came his first fight with Riddick Bowe, an ugly affair. Golota was surprising fans with a great performance against the former champ, then he did the unthinkable. After hurting his opponent, he moved his attack downstairs and fired three ripping shots into poor Riddick's groin. With Bowe writhing on the canvas in pain, and Golota disqualified, a full-scale riot broke out -- the worst in 30 years at Madison Square Garden. Incredibly, he once again resorted to savage low-blows in a wild rematch, being disqualified after seven rounds.\nAlways a rough fighter, 34-year-old "Iron Mike" has gotten even worse in his second and third "careers," separated by prison stints. \nLet\'s take a look at Tyson\'s last five endeavors: \n5) disqualified after cannibalizing Evander Holyfield \n4) did his best to break Francois Botha\'s arm in a clinch \n3) hit Orlin Norris with a devastating left hook well after the bell ending the first round (ruled a no-contest)\n2) fought very cleanly in destroying the inept Julius Francis in England \n1) floored Lou Savarese 11 seconds into Round 1, then proceeded to attack his hapless opponent, pummeling the unfortunate referee who was trying to stop the match\nTyson remains a brooding ex-con, completely unpredictable and very dangerous, both in and out of the ring. \nGiven their unsavory pasts, this must be said: these guys can fight. Golota utilizes a typical European style: long jab from the outside, sharp right hand. Tyson is just Tyson, and these days that means wild, looping bombs from the get-go. A significant size difference is at work here. How will Tyson respond with the 250-pound Golota bearing down on him? And let me tell you, if we get past round three, it\'s a different fight. Tyson is much less aggressive after his initial assault. If Golota can weather the storm, he has a real chance to stop Tyson late, ending his career permanently.