In brief

Winky and Tyson talk about job

By wire services
Published December 16, 2005

Winky Wright and Mike Tyson, business partners?

It could happen, says Wright, who met with the former heavyweight champion Tuesday in New York about a possible position with the recently formed Winky Promotions.

"We talked about what role he wants to play," Wright said. "Mike, he wants to be more of a talent scout. A lot of fighters come to him and ask him for advice on different promoters and fighters. We're trying to find a role for him in that area."

Despite a sketchy past and some well-publicized legal cases, Tyson, 39, remains the most recognizable figure in boxing and would add a higher profile to Wright's young company.

"I'm pretty confident in Mike," Wright said. "He's a good guy and he knows a lot, and people may not know it but he's highly intelligent."

- JOHN C. COTEY, Times staff writer

Toyota power will be gone from the Indy Racing League a year earlier than planned, leaving Honda as the only engine supplier next season. IRL president Brian Barnhart said having a single engine program would save teams money. Toyota said its early withdrawal would allow the IRL to move to a common engine for all teams in 2006. In other news, Felipe Giaffone will join A.J. Foyt's team as a full-time driver.

NASCAR: Talladega Superspeedway will be repaved next year, the first time since 1979. Drivers have said the track's uneven surface takes a toll on chassis parts and makes bumper-to-bumper racing even more harrowing. ... Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill creating a specialty license plate to help fund Daytona Beach's bid for a Hall of Fame.

Shani Davis, trying to become the first American to make both speed-skating teams for the same Olympics, failed to make the 1,000 and 1,500 finals at the U.S. short-track championships in Marquette, Mich., a major blow. Two events are left for him today. Apolo Anton Ohno and Kim Hyo-jung became the first to clinch spots on the short-track team.

HOCKEY: Jenny Potter scored two goals and Lyndsay Wall had two assists to lead the U.S. women's team to a 3-1 victory over Finland in an exhibition game at Rochester, N.Y. Team USA is 10-0-1 all time against Finland, which the Americans will face at the Turin Olympics.

FIGURE SKATING: Former Olympic champion Wolfgang Schwarz was acquitted of human trafficking. Prosecutors in Vienna, Austria, had alleged the 58-year-old Schwarz brought two Lithuanian women to Austria in 2004 to work as prostitutes and took part of their pay. The 1968 gold medalist also had been charged with getting another foreign woman a job at a bordello and demanding a cut of her earnings.

Lance Armstrong, the retired seven-time Tour de France champion, has been ordered to stand trial in Italy on charges of defaming Filippo Simeoni. The case is to be heard starting March 7 to settle a feud from the 2004 race. If convicted, Armstrong faces a fine. Armstrong is being investigated for reportedly chasing and threatening Simeoni during a stage for testifying about doping abuse.

TENNIS: Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters were named players of the year by the International Tennis Writers Association.

SOCCER: FIFA will allow Iran to play in next year's World Cup despite calls from German politicians for the Islamic nation to be banned because the country's president denies the Holocaust. ... The San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS are moving to Houston, where owners anticipate an ethnically diverse population supporting soccer.

[Last modified December 16, 2005, 00:55:10]