Another chance for Tyson

NEW YORK CITY — Since losing to Lennox Lewis in Memphis last June, former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has metamorphosed from a trash-talking thug into a soft-spoken model of civility.

It’s a transformation that should make for an interesting chapter in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

Tyson,36, has gone to hell and back. He’s been cursed, incarcerated, and humiliated. No fighter has led a more controversial life and no fighter has earned bigger bucks. Tyson is the fighter whom fans love to hate–that’s why they pay good money to watch him.

In his prime, Tyson used to shock even the most hardened sportswriters by saying the most outrageous things. He talked of driving Jesse Ferguson’s nose bone into his brain, of taking a bath in Francois Botha’s blood, of making Razor Ruddock his girlfriend, and of eating Lewis’ children. Is he demented? His eight-month marriage to actress Robin Givens ended up in a messy divorce. He spent three years in prison on a rape charge. He bit Evander Holyfield’s ear twice during a fight. There are endless tales of manic behavior.

Some U.S. states refuse to issue Tyson a boxing license because he’s supposed to be a menace to society. He doesn’t belong in the ring, the critics insist, because he belongs in a zoo. Tyson isn’t human, they argue–he’s an animal with banal instincts.

What’s scary is Tyson’s split personality. He’s a living example of a Jekyll and Hyde. Flashback to the Lewis fight. Before the bell, Tyson looked like the embodiment of evil. In a press conference, he started a scuffle and munched on Lewis’ leg. After the fight, he was as meek as a lamb in defeat–he wiped the sweat off Lewis’ face and publicly begged for another chance. Tyson even bussed Lewis’ mother on the cheek, for heaven’s sake. Is this guy for real or what?

Now that Tyson is down in the dumps, he’s looking for pity. "I just played to what they (the fans and media) want," said Tyson, quoted by Thom Jones in the magazine Details. "I played to what they want to buy. A friend of mine said, ‘Mike, how come you’re only a bad guy on the cameras and over here, you’re a wimp?’ I said, ‘Listen, man, ‘cause the cameras get me paid, baby. The cameras get me paid.’"

I see a PR effort to picture Tyson as a misunderstood victim of circumstances. Obviously, he’s not through as a fighter and he’ll need media support to get back in the thick of the money action.

Details recently ran a story on Tyson and ended it with a quote from Iron Mike: "You know what’s more overwhelming than being the champion? To be the people’s champion. That’s more overwhelming than anything. The title means nothing once the people grasp you in their bosom. That’s a curse. You’re a part of them now and they feel like they know you."

Details,incidentally, questioned the credibility of Tyson’s alleged rape victim and appeared to question the wisdom of the fighter’s conviction. It also tried to justify Tyson’s biting spree by pointing to Holyfield as the culprit who started the fouling. And the reference to a people’s champion took a dig at Lewis who doesn’t seem to fit the bill in Tyson’s mind.

So why is Tyson in the spotlight again? Simple. He’s booked to fight on Feb. 22 in Memphis. And Showtime is hyping it up. His opponent shouldn’t be difficult to dispose of. Clifford (The Black Rhino) Etienne, 32,boasts a deceptively impressive 24-1-1 record but has only feasted on patsies. In his last fight, the Black Rhino was decked twice in salvaging a draw with Tyson victim Botha, known as the White Buffalo. Talk about a battle of beasts. Etienne will be lucky to survive three rounds with Tyson.

Down the road, Tyson is hoping for a Lewis rematch. London is bidding for it and Lewis is likely to give Iron Mike another shot, probably in September, because the money’s too good to turn down. Apparently, the plan is for Tyson to pick up two or three wins before "earning" a second crack at Lewis.

Tyson has lots of bills to pay–that’s why he’s got to keep on fighting.

For as long as he’s licensed to fight, Tyson will fight. Boxing is his life. Never mind the double-talk. You and I know what kind of person Tyson is. He insults our intelligence by trying to be civil and courteous. He insults our intelligence by pretending to be misunderstood in what is obviously a contrived propaganda campaign to gain public sympathy. He insults our intelligence by saying he was just brought up wrong.

Sure,we’ll watch Tyson fight. The fans enjoy booing the villain. But we won’t hesitate to call on the authorities to lock him up and throw away the key if he’s ever found guilty of breaking the law again.

Postscript. Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player and now TV broadcaster Charles Barkley kissed Kenny Smith’s ass, as promised, on cable TV’s weekly sports talk show "Listen Up" last Thursday. But it’s not exactly what fans expected. Smith, also an ex-NBA cager and Barkley’s co-broadcaster, bought a donkey and brought it in the studio for Sir Charles to kiss. Barkley, after some hemming and hawing, kissed the jackass’ ass. Barkley previously said he would smack Smith’s rear end if Yao Ming ever scores at least 19 points in a game. Yao shot 20 against the Los Angeles Lakers a few days after Barkley made his vow on TV … A chip dip company has signed four ex-NBA stars to appear in a TV commercial. Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Isiah Thomas, and Dominique Wilkins take turns pitching for the dip … ESPN has introduced a "floor cam" to spice up its NBA coverage this season. The miniature camera is imbedded on the court in the no-charge zone an angle off the basket. The dramatic view shows shoe soles in the air as players elevate to block shots or score on layups and putbacks or rebound. It’s an incredible innovation. Action is most physical when it’s closest to the rim. You see bodies banging, elbows swinging, chests thumping, and sweat dripping like you’re inches away from the play.