Tyson-Mathis fight moved to Philadelphia

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA Ÿ Mike Tyson, often displaying no more animation than the statue of ''Rocky'' in front of the Spectrum, said Thursday he was excited to be fighting in Philadelphia. He just didn't show it.

''I hope you enjoy my performance, and I hope to make it stimulating,'' said Tyson, who often appeared bored while promoter Don King and a representative of the mayor's office discussed the Tyson-Buster Mathis Jr. fight set for the Spectrum on Dec. 16.

Philadelphia got the fight when gambling authorities in New Jersey denied a request by casino operator Donald Trump to hold the fight in Atlantic City, N.J.

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission, which had barred King from doing business with casinos last year, voted 4-0 Wednesday to deny Trump's request, even though Trump's suggested deal had King assigning promotional rights to an unidentified promoter.

Gambling regulators, however, considered the request a thinly disguised attempt to subvert the ban on King, who has not been allowed to do business with Atlantic City casinos since he was indicted on a wire fraud charge in August 1994.

King said he was calling the fight ''Presumption of Innocence.''

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