Anger at offer of TV refund on Tyson fight

Plans by a satellite service to refund a third of the $49.95 (pounds 32) viewing fee to customers if Mike Tyson's fight with Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas on 9 November does not last three rounds have upset the Nevada Athletic Commission. They will meet on Friday to discuss the offer by National Programming Service.

"We don't mind people betting how many rounds a fight will go, but we don't want anybody guaranteeing that if it doesn't go so many rounds you get your money back," said Marc Ratner, the director of the state athletic commission. "It's part of the sport of boxing where a fight can end in a first-round knockout or go the entire 12 rounds."

The offer comes in the wake of the Bruce Seldon's first-round defeat by Mike Tyson, who has fought less than a total of eight rounds in his four comeback fights. "The last fight was so controversial in the way it ended that we really need to see a good, long competitive bout," said Hugh Panero, whose Request Television distributes the pay-per-view show to cable companies.