Mike Tyson was sentenced to 3 to 6 years for rape on February 10, 1992. I was working my winter job as a security job at a local mall, and vividly recall listening to the day to day court reports in our security truck. What came to mind most was what Larry Holmes had predicted in January of 1998, when he said “In a couple of years, the guy is gonna destroy himself.” Prophetic words that unfortunately for Tyson, came true.
To me, Tyson’s downfall began when he left the people that got his career off to the successful start it had. When Jimmy Jacobs died in March of 1988, it was the beginning of the end. Jacobs and Bill Cayton had managed his career brilliantly, matching him with the right opponents, and directing his path to a title shot in less than two years. Kevin Rooney had a good rapport with Tyson, and the people in his corner cared for him. When Tyson’s life started to unravel in 1988 after his divorce of Robin Givens, and the other troubles than ensued, he looked for other people to rescue him. Along came the ultimate shark in Don King.
King was an amoral racist, who used whatever it took to make money. He convinced Mike that Bill Cayton was the devil, and Kevin Rooney was a rotten trainer. Gullible and lost at the time, Tyson bought into his crap, hook, line and sinker, and ‘Team Tyson’ under King was formed in late 1988.
A little over 3 years later, his career was shot, and Tyson was headed for prison. Mike no longer had any direction or anyone that cared for him, after he left his original boxing team, and the proof was in the pudding. Under King, he ran wild and free, with no one to give him guidance, as long as he made King money.
No one can convince me that if Tyson had stayed with Cayton, and Rooney, and guys like Steve Lott that loved him, he would have wound up in the slammer. They generally had his back, and cared for him, but he found out too late. King didn’t care about skin color, only money. In February of 1992, money couldn’t buy Mike out of jail, and he was sent to Indiana to serve his sentence.
On March 26, 1995, he was released on parole, and despite offers from a list of promoters, went right back to King. I was in Vegas that Saturday morning when he was released, and had to wonder what would happen in this phase of his career. Tyson said he had converted to Islam while in prison, and was at peace with himself. Only time would tell.
His first opponent on the road back was a fraud of fighter named Peter ‘Hurricane’ McNeeley. King had him manipulated into the rankings, trying to convince the public that he was a legitimate heavyweight contender. I knew it was all lies as usual from the ultimate con-man, but Tyson was back for certain. He looked spectacular physically in his first public workouts, and at 29 years old, seemed to have plenty left in the tank.
In August of 1995, I was betting on boxing at the time, and made sure I put big money on Tyson to win the under, on the over-under prop of 2 1/2 to 1. There was no way in hell that McNeeley would last it out of the first round, let alone 2 and a half. The seats to watch the fight on closed-circuit were sold-out, so I had to settle on sitting in the sports book at the MGM that Saturday night, August 19th, and wait to hear the results. It was less than a minute in to the first round, when word spread that it was over. I was thrilled, went to cash my ticket at Caesar’s Palace, and enjoy the rest of my night.
Tyson had a win under his belt, but it proved nothing to me. He certainly brought excitement back to a heavyweight division that needed it. What he did with this opportunity in his life, I was certainly curious to find out.
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