FanHouse Mike Tyson

The toughest fight in Mike Tyson's life never involved the likes of Buster Douglas, Evander Holyfield or Lennox Lewis.

It involved Tyson versus Tyson.

As for Tyson's second toughest fight, it continues, and it will never end. It involves Tyson versus many in society who just won't leave the guy alone.

The gold diggers. The mindless instigators -- you know, those into poking grizzlies with sticks. Oh, and the paparazzi. In fact, one of its members was the primary cause of the latest Mike Tyson Thing this week at Los Angeles International Airport. Tyson exploded (surprise, surprise) after the photographer tried to snap pictures of this famously temperamental former heavyweight boxing champion with his wife and his 10-month-old daughter.

In not-so-shocking news, Mike Tyson has been arrested for a "scuffle" at a Los Angeles airport involving photographer Tony Echevarria, according to police. Tyson, whose public behavior track record hasn't been great, was arrested and released on $20,000 bond, according to television reports.

Per usual, there are differing accounts as to exactly what happened:

The photographer told police that Tyson struck him once, airport police spokesman Sgt. Jim Holcomb said. The photographer fell to the ground and was treated for a cut to his forehead at a hospital.

Tyson's spokeswoman Tammy Brook said the boxer was traveling with his wife and 10-month-old child when he was attacked by an overly aggressive paparazzo. "Mike acted in self defense as a father protecting his child," she said.

For Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 knockouts) and Filipino challenger Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), there never has been a more career-defining moment than this one.

Each will be battling for the pride of his countrymen as well as his status among boxing's best fighters, pound-for-pound, when the combatants step into the ring for Saturday night's mega-fight at The MGM Grand In Las Vegas.

After the jump, some of the most knowledgeable sources in the boxing world offer their predictions for a clash at the same site where Floyd Mayweather easily decisioned Mexican great, Juan Manuel Marquez, in September.

Manny Pacquiao graces the cover of Time Magazine's Asia edition, and his corresponding five-page feature story is being included in the U.S. Edition with Hillary Clinton on its front.

The fighter's appearance in the magazine, which hit the news stands this past Friday, comes on the heels of his being in ESPN's Body Issue, his first, primetime television appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and his recognition as a 2009 Gusi Peace Prize laureate.

As the focus of the feature entitled The Meaning Of Manny, the fighter is amazed at his cross-over appeal.

"I absolutely had no idea that when I started my career in boxing, to provide a better life for myself and my family, that I would now be where I am today, and on the cover of Time Magazine," said Pacquiao, who will go after Miguel Cotto's WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title this Saturday at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

During the buildup of WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao, the challenger's trainer, Freddie Roach, says he's having fun at the expense of Cotto and his chief cornermen, Joe Santiago.

Cotto "is slower," and "gets hit so much more" since his 11th-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito, and "his defense sucks, because he's training himself," said Roach.

See what else Roach had to say after the jump.

Although his Nov. 8 bout slated for Jeju Island, South Korea, was canceled, 47-year-old former four-time champion, Evander Holyfield, could fight South African, Francois Botha, on Dec. 19, in Uganda. A good showing in the Botha fight could also lead to a possible title shot at WBC champion, Vitali Klitschko, Holyfield's manager, Ken Sanders, told FanHouse on Tuesday.

"We do this fight in December, then I'd say in February or March, we could have a championship fight with the WBC's Vitali Klitschko," said Sanders, whose contention is supported by comments made by WBC president, Jose Sulaiman.

"If Evander comes and has a good showing in the fight that takes place in Jeju, I think that Klitschko might take a fight with him," Sulaiman, told FanHouse on Sept. 28 when Holyfield-Derric Rossy still was scheduled. "I believe that Evander Holyfield is one of the best heavyweight fighters of the last quarter century."

Among the motivations for Joseph Agbeko entering Saturday night's defense of his IBF, 118-pound title against Yonnhy Perez is his desire to achieve the greatness of two of his African predecessors.

Like Agbeko, a 29-year-old bantamweight titlist, Ghaninan legends such as three-time champion Azumah Nelson and former belt-holder Ike Quartey, hail from the city of Accra. Nelson excelled as a featherweight (126) and super featherweight (130), and Quartey, as a welterweight (147).

Nelson and Quartey have made appearances at Agbeko's training sessions, encouraging him during his quest to be considered among the sport's best fighters, pound-for-pound.

Showtime's Sports general manager, Ken Hershman, said that he is "thrilled" concerning the success of last weekend's two super middleweight bouts of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament, even as he expressed concern and well-wishes toward Jermain Taylor, who was diagnosed with a concussion following his 12th-round knockout loss to Germany's Arthur Abraham.

After losing to Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) in a clash of former middleweight (160 pounds) champions, Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs) was hospitalized for a few days in Germany following their 168-pound battle.

It was a bird! It was a plane! It was a hoax!

A homemade balloon got loose with a six-year-old passenger, triggering a national panic not seen since Rush Limbaugh became untethered and floated over the NFL until being shot down by Al Sharpton.

Richard Heene, Balloon Boy's father, went on national TV and swore it wasn't a publicity stunt. It would have been more convincing if he hadn't been wearing a Bigfoot costume.

Amid such craziness, we needed a story people could really believe in. As usual, it was provided by American's High Priestess of Redemption, Oprah Winfrey. She reunited Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield for the first time since Tyson mistook Holyfield's ear for a pork rind.

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield shook hands on The Oprah Winfrey Show Friday, with Holyfield saying he has forgiven Tyson for biting him in their heavyweight title fight in 1997.

"The most important thing is to forgive, and I forgave him," Holyfield said. "It wasn't really as bad as they made it out to be. Things happen for a reason, but it's how you handle it."