Mike Tyson is back

david1550

New Member
By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer Thu Jun 9, 8:34 AM ET

WASHINGTON - Mike Tyson was at his new charming self. At least he was trying hard to be. When it finally came to talking about his fight, though, Tyson couldn't help himself. Gone were the compliments about someone's tie, the expressions of love he had for the Washington, D.C., boxing commission, even the applause he gave his ex-wife, Monica.
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In their place Wednesday were thoughts directed toward Kevin McBride.

"I'm going to gut you like a fish," Tyson told McBride.

Those were fighting words, and Tyson will have a chance to back them up when he launches the latest comeback of his turbulent career Saturday night at the MCI Center against the unheralded Irish heavyweight.

Tyson hasn't shown in recent years he can fight like he used to. But for a few moments at the final pre-fight press conference, he sure sounded like he did in the days he was terrorizing the heavyweight division.

Of course, it's easy to sound tough when the opponent is McBride, the so-called Clones Colossus who seemed afraid to even be at the press conference, much less in the ring against Tyson.

"I'm a contender, not a pretender," McBride kept repeating, as if to convince himself that he does have a chance against Tyson in the scheduled 10-round fight.

A lot of fighters have a chance with the 38-year-old Tyson these days, as Danny Williams found out when he stopped Tyson in their fight last July in Louisville. McBride, who has been going to a hypnotist to get himself ready for the fight, doesn't appear to be one of them, however.

McBride got the fight because he was willing to work cheap — $150,000 to the $5 million Tyson will make — and because Tyson's handlers figure he'll be easy to hit and go down a lot easier than Williams did in his aborted comeback fight.

At the press conference at Howard University, McBride was virtually ignored until the end by a town enjoying its lovefest with Tyson.

Even the member of the Washington, D.C., boxing commission sitting on the dais, Arnold McKnight, had to tell Tyson that he loved him.

"I love you too, brother," Tyson replied.

McBride might have something to worry about since the same commission appoints the referee and judges for the fight, but few think the judges will have much to do with the outcome anyway. McBride may be big but he's slow and easy to hit, and has never beaten a heavyweight of any consequence.

About the only good thing anybody can say about McBride is that he's 6-foot-5, 275 pounds and holds the Irish heavyweight championship.

"A tomato can," is how Tyson described him.

While McBride may not be much, Tyson hasn't exactly looked like the baddest man on the planet lately, either.

He's been stopped in two of his last three fights, and once again has to be packaged as a reborn fighter who has rededicated himself to his craft to make people believe. He's got a new trainer in Jeff Fenech, says he has stopped smoking marijuana and wants to be the heavyweight champion again.

"I'll go back and take what the people owe me," Tyson said.

Tyson was at his amiable best for most of the press conference, posing for pictures, making jokes, hugging the promoter and clapping for all speakers. He even applauded his ex-wife, Monica, who is now serving as a business manager of sort and will get $750,000 herself from the fight as part of Tyson's bankruptcy reorganization plan.

Tyson is making a $5 million purse, but he owes nearly $40 million to various creditors and will likely see only about $250,000 or so after he gets done making payments under a court ordered bankruptcy reorganization plan.

Tyson is in desperate need of a win, both to resolve his financial problems and to keep his career going. His purses are already shrinking from what they used to be, and a loss to another unheralded fighter would likely spell the end of his career.

Though Tyson has been in tough times lately both in and out of the ring, he still remains as probably the biggest draw in boxing. Washington promoter Marty Wynn said some 13,000 of the 17,300 tickets for the fight have been sold and said he expected a near-sellout by fight time.

Wynn said he had options for Tyson's next two fights, with one scheduled for November assuming Tyson wins.

"People call this a circus and some reporters call it a fiasco," Tyson said. "But you have to understand that these people aren't here because I'm a circus. They're here because I'm an icon, an international star."

McBride apparently thought so as well, saying that it had always been his dream to fight Tyson and now his dream was coming true. That dream actually could have come true last year when McBride was offered the fight at similar money, but his manager turned it down because it wasn't enough.

"When the Tyson fight came up this time, I grabbed it with all my hands," McBride said.
 

Amos Stevens

New Member
>
>
> That's right. Mike Tyson is a closet softy, at
> least when it comes to his
> birds.
>
>
> The former heavyweight boxing champion, who lives
> in Phoenix, stunned City
> Council members Wednesday by showing up unannounced
> at a subcommittee hearing
> and asking that they not impose new restrictions on
> the number of pigeons
> kept on residential property.
>
> "I am just here for anyone that's for the pigeons.
> They're pretty harmless,"
> Tyson said.
>
> The boxer has been a pigeon aficionado since
> childhood and now owns 350. The
> new proposal would limit that to 40 birds.
>
> It's not clear how Tyson became interested in
> pigeons, but an oft-told story
> is that he got his first taste of fighting after
> beating up a bully who
> killed one of his beloved birds.
>
> No such fury was evident Wednesday. A deferential
> Tyson thanked the council
> for letting him speak.
>
> "I don't understand why people would want to get rid
> of pigeons," he said.
> "They don't bother no one."
>
>
>
 

david1550

New Member
Tyson's career may be over after latest loss
By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer
June 12, 2005

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AP - Jun 11, 11:59 pm EDT
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The end came for Mike Tyson while he was sitting on a stool. The fighter who was once the baddest man on the planet wanted no more.

Looking more like a pathetic, aging fighter than the man who once terrorized the heavyweight division, Tyson's career more than likely ended Saturday night when he quit after the sixth round after desperately trying to foul his way to a win against Kevin McBride.

Nineteen years after he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever, Tyson's stamina, speed and ring skills weren't even enough to beat an Irish journeyman who has never beaten a heavyweight of any note.

``I don't have the stomach for this anymore,'' Tyson said. ``I most likely won't fight anymore. I'm not going to disrespect the sport by losing to this caliber of fighters.''

The sixth round was bizarre even by the standards of a fighter once banned from boxing for biting Evander Holyfield's ears.

Tyson tried to break McBride's arm in the final round, then tried to hit him low. When all else failed he aimed his head at McBride's forehead, butting him and opening a cut next to his left eye.

``I was desperate,'' Tyson said. ``I wanted to win.''

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When the round ended, though, it wasn't McBride who was in trouble. It was Tyson, pushed to the canvas by his 6-foot-5, 271-pound opponent, with his head stuck between the ropes. Tyson seemed barely able to get up and, when he did, he wobbled to his corner and sat on the stool for one last final time.

``I felt like I was 120 years old,'' Tyson said.

Trainer Jeff Fenech stroked Tyson's face as referee Joe Cortez came by to ask if he wanted to continue. Tyson didn't, likely bringing an end to a career that began in such spectacular fashion but flamed out amid Tyson's inability to deal with the pressures of being in the spotlight.

Tyson sat on his stool blankly watching McBride's celebration, a white towel draped over his shoulder. When he got up to congratulate his opponent, McBride kissed him on the left cheek.

``I could have gone on but I thought I was getting beat,'' Tyson said. ``I don't think I have it anymore.''

It was the third loss in the last four fights for Tyson, who was trying to fight his way out of $40 million in debt and back into contention in a wide open heavyweight division. But, just as he did against Danny Williams last July, he faded badly as the rounds went on and tried to resort to street fouls to turn the tide against McBride.

Tyson was winning, ahead 57-55 on two scorecards and behind by the same score on a third when he quit But the fight had clearly changed and McBride had taken over and it only figured to get uglier as it went on.

The Associated Press had the fight even, 56-56.

Photo
AP - Jun 11, 11:53 pm EDT
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``You're smart too late and old too soon,'' Tyson said. ``I just got caught up in that suction cup. I feel like Rip Van Winkle right now.''

The 38-year-old Tyson was a huge favorite over McBride and won the early rounds, landing some big punches to the body and head that didn't seem to have much of an effect on McBride. But as the fight went on, it was McBride landing the bigger punches as Tyson desperately tried to score a knockout.

Tyson was weary by the fifth round and, in the sixth, he was taking punishment from McBride. He tried to get back in the fight by hitting McBride with low blows, then appeared to try to break his arm, much as he once did against Francois Botha.

Cortez warned Tyson after he grabbed McBride's arm, telling him ``I don't want any more fighting with the arms, understand?''

When the action resumed, Tyson then head-butted McBride, forcing Cortez to stop the fight briefly to allow McBride to recover and to penalize Tyson two points.

``He tried to break my arm and he butted me,'' McBride said. ``That's the rough stuff in boxing.''

In a career filled with tremendous highs and terrible lows, Tyson reached a new low in the loss to McBride, who came into the fight with no credentials.

Tyson (50-6) was a shell of the fighter he once was, throwing wild punches and trying to knock out McBride with each shot. But McBride (33-4-1) took the punches and came back with some of his own and Tyson gradually began wearing down.

``It was the opportunity of a lifetime,'' McBride said.

Tyson was tentative in the early going, showing little of the aggressiveness that once made him a feared fighter. McBride stood right in front of him, but Tyson was content to land only one punch at a time, perhaps remembering how he ran out of gas in his previous fights.

``There's no rush,'' said after the first round.

But it turned out there was a rush as Tyson faded just as he did against Williams. That loss was blamed on torn cartilage in Tyson's leg, but it was clear even to the pro-Tyson crowd of 15,472 at the MCI Center on this night that Tyson was a shot fighter.

McBride towered over Tyson and weighed 38 pounds more than the former champion. But he had been knocked out four times by lesser fighters and wasn't expected to give Tyson much of a fight.

``This win was for the pride of Ireland,'' McBride said. ``I proved everyone wrong tonight.''

Tyson got some prefight guidance from Muhammad Ali, who visited him in the dressing room. But even The Greatest couldn't do anything for the conditioning and reflexes of a fighter who really hasn't beaten a top heavyweight since he defeated Razor Ruddock 14 years ago.

Tyson was paid $5 million for the fight, which was on the low end of purses he has made in his career. After his creditors got $2 million, the IRS got its cut and his ex-wife got $750,000, so there wasn't much left for the fighter.

Tyson still owes nearly $40 million and there were plans for him to fight up to seven times to pay off the debt. But those plans didn't include Tyson taking the kind of beating that McBride was beginning to administer to him in the fifth and sixth rounds.
 

GlimmerMan

Huge Member
Tyson was a shadow of his former self in that fight and I found it quite sad to watch. Even Bruno would knock fu*k out of him now!
 
Tyson should just stay at his house and watch some of his old fights because that isn't him anymore. Hell, I bet even George Foreman could beat Tyson's butt.
 
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