Tyson Free on Fox May Be Costly to TVKO

As it stands now, the night of Nov. 4 will be a crowded one for boxing, with a free Mike Tyson fight on Fox going up against a pay-per-view bout between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe on TVKO.

It could also mean a big loss for TVKO, now faced with either moving its fight to Nov. 3 or trying to persuade the boxing public to pay for its attraction rather than watch Tyson fight Buster Mathis Jr. on free television.

Don King and Fox announced their new alliance at a news conference Thursday in New York.

“Only in America!” King proclaimed. “Boxing is back for all the people in America to see on Fox, thanks to Mike Tyson.

“Mike and I suffered great frustration and disappointment at the events surrounding the conclusion of his last fight on Aug. 19 [when Peter McNeeley’s manager stepped into the ring 89 seconds into the first round]. So Mike and I agreed [to go with Fox].”

What’s the next move for TVKO, which has steadfastly held to the Nov. 4 date for its fight?

“We will respond at the appropriate time,” said Seth Abraham, the president of Time-Warner sports, TVKO’s parent company.

Each show is scheduled for three hours with undercards. No times have been set, but the Fox show may start at 4 or 5 p.m., with the TVKO show beginning at 6. A staggered start could keep the main events from going head to head.

As for who will announce the Fox fight, David Hill, the president of the network’s sports division, said only that James Brown would be the host.

Might John Madden be involved?

“At this point, you can’t rule anything out,” a Fox spokesman said.