LAS VEGAS Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, in his first bout since his release from a Maryland jail last May, will fight Orlin Norris October 23 here at the MGM Grand, Tyson's promoter said Thursday. It will be the 33-year-old Tyson's first fight since he knocked out South African Frans Botha in the fifth round last January. Tyson spent 3-1/2 months in jail for assaulting two men after a minor traffic accident.

Tyson no longer can draw a significant pay-per-view audience, so the scheduled 12-round Norris fight, for something called the World Boxing Council international heavyweight championship, will be on showtime's regular cable system. In addition to millions more owed others, Tyson owes showtime about $13 million it advanced him in the hopes that he would be a big draw once again. But after the ponderous Botha won all four rounds before getting careless it was clear Tyson was not able to compete, at least not then, against the top heavyweights.

Then Tyson (46-3) went to jail and his handlers now are forced to start him off gently against the likes of the 50-5 Norris, who is slow, about the same 5'10" (1.77 meters) as Tyson and at nearly 34 is on the downside of his career. "I'm just here to get out of the debt, man. You know what I mean.

This debt Don King got me in," said Tyson, referring to his former promoter against whom the fighter has a lawsuit claiming King stole millions from him. (Reuter)