Rusty "Iron Mike" gives "White Buffalo" a hiding

Both fighters were still throwing blows well after the bell ended the first round and refused to break as Steele rushed in. The two wrestled and cornermen from both sides swarmed around the boxers and the one minute interval extended to at least two as officials tried to separate them.“I’m a better fighter than when I fought Evander Holyfield,” said Tyson, who went over to hug Botha, who lay on the canvas for a couple of minutes as the ringside doctor examined him.

Contrary to Tyson’s assertion, he definitely did not appear nearthe fighter he was in either of his two losses to Holyfield.

`Iron Mike’ , the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, banned from boxing after biting off a piece of Holyfield’s ear in June 1997, repeatedly missed Botha and spent most of the fight throwing only one or two power punches at a time, including his patented leaping left hook, to Botha’s head.

Botha repeatedly dropped his guard mocking Tyson, and in the fourth round when he did it many of the estimated 11,500 fans in the MGM Grand Arena laughed.

Botha, who came into the ring wearing a white buffalo hide as a symbol of his his nickname `The White Buffalo’, appeared pale and nervous.

Tyson came in a few minutes later wearing a Moslem cap and a black T-shirt with “Be Real” — the name of his wife’s new line of clothing on the front.Botha, 30, seemed to gain confidence as he took the fight to the 32-year-old Tyson.

He talked to Tyson several times in the fight and grunted when he fired off his power punches, would throw onlytwo or three punches before grabbing the shorter Tyson. The slow-punching Botha stung Tyson several times in the bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

Steele took a point away from Tyson in the second round for elbowing Botha. Several times in the fight as they clinched Tyson looked over to Steele and complained about Botha fighting dirty inside.

Tyson opened the fifth round with a combination to the body and then a left hook to the head. Botha came back with a solid right to Tyson’s head. Tyson landed a very good jab and Botha struck back with a solid overhand right.The end came after Botha threw a weak right and Tyson stepped in with a straight right that crushed Botha.

Tyson’s trainer Tommy Brooks said after the fight that Tyson “learned his lesson tonight. I was a little worried at first.”

Before this victory, Tyson had not won in 2-1/2 years.

Tyson, who earned at least $10 million, is now 46-3. Botha, the former IBF heavyweight champion before being stripped of the title after failing a steroidstest, is now 39-2 with one no-decision. Botha was paid $1.85 million.