Fight for survival

It was 18 years ago when Mike Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight champion ever by knocking out Trevor Berbick in two rounds in Las Vegas. Iron Mike seemed indestructible. He was a fearsome punching machine, a powerful and merciless executioner in the ring.

Today, he is 38 years old and trying to turn back the hands of time. Tyson is fighting for survival. There’s not much left of the more than $300 Million he earned in a career that started in 1985. He owes over $38 Million to various creditors and his remaining assets are slowly being gobbled up in court settlements.

Tyson’s first marriage to actress Robin Givens was a disaster. Givens’ mother Ruth Roper, who once claimed she contracted an unspecified venereal disease from baseball’s Dave Winfield, put a noose around Tyson’s neck and her scheming daughter did the lynching. Givens convinced Tyson to marry her because she was supposedly pregnant. Before Iron Mike realized it was a false alarm, he had given a power of attorney to Givens to control his fortune. A costly divorce was as devastating as Tyson’s loss to Lennox Lewis two years ago. The marriage lasted eight months.

Tyson’s second marriage to Dr. Monica Turner was just as tragic. She accused him of adultery, filed for divorce and was awarded $6.5 Million from Tyson’s future earnings, his $4.75 Million mansion in Connecticut and his $4 Million home in Maryland. The knockout blow was she was granted custody of their two children Rayna and Amir.

Nobody knows for sure, not even Tyson, how many children he has. A certain Kimberly Scarborough receives child support for his 14-year-old daughter Mickey. She once went to court because Tyson was late in sending money. Iron Mike was ordered to pay $62,595 in back child support.

An insatiable appetite for sex has led Tyson to hell on earth. He was convicted of raping beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington and served a prison term of three years. Tyson was released in 1995 and from the Indiana State Prison, flew straight to his 66-acre estate in Ohio where the amenities include six bedrooms, a 100-inch TV set, a 1,100-pound chandelier, a huge bed covered with a fox-fur blanket with foxtails, a walk-in closet the size of a small studio apartment with 72 pairs of size-13 shoes and sneakers, a slate-and-marble pool table and a garage with nine luxury cars, including two Porsches, a Rolls-Royce, two Ferraris and a four-door custom-made convertible.

Tyson has been involved in countless court cases. Once, a 50-year-old woman Arlene Moorman accused him of rape. He was recently ordered to do community service after figuring in a brawl in a Brooklyn hotel.

A month ago, Tyson’s lawyers told a federal bankruptcy court that the fighter has lined up seven bouts in three years to earn enough to pay off his debts. That’s on top of the $14 Million he expects to receive in agreeing to settle a $100 Million suit against promoter Don King for allegedly shortchanging him in past engagements and what he’ll pocket from selling two homes in Las Vegas.

Tyson hasn’t fought since poleaxing Clifford Etienne in 49 seconds in February last year. He ends a 17-month layoff to pick up a $9 Million check for facing dangerous Danny Williams of England in Louisville tomorrow morning (Manila time).

But how dangerous is Williams?

There’s no doubt Williams can punch. He’s scored seven first round knockouts in compiling a 31-3 record, with 26 stoppages. But the quality of his opposition is questionable. Tyson, however, is no longer as formidable as he once was. He was twice reduced to rubble by Evander Holyfield whose ears he bit in exasperation in losing their second encounter by disqualification in 1997.

Although Tyson is a 6-1 favorite, oddsmakers aren’t discounting a Williams upset.

"Williams has a tremendous opportunity to gatecrash the world heavyweight scene and make a massive impact on the sport," wrote Boxing News editor Claude Abrams. "Tyson, after all, is 38 and has been inactive. He’s never been too comfortable against good jabbers and Danny has a solid left."

Williams, 31, left his English home, wife Zoe and their two children, Nubia and seven-week-old Maliha, a month ago to train for Tyson in New York. He’s sparred with Russian Oleg Maskaev and knocked out three other partners in bruising sessions in the gym. Williams is in the best shape of his career and realizes a win over Tyson will open the doors for big money fights.

Williams made critics sit up and take notice when despite a dislocated right shoulder and his arm hanging loose, he uncorked a left uppercut–his most potent weapon–to stop Mark Potter four years ago. It was a miracle win considering Williams’ injury. He underwent surgery to repair the damage after the fight.

Last April, Williams took only 136 seconds to dispose of Serbian Ratko Draskovic–who had gone the distance with Olympic hero Audley Harrison–with his patented left uppercut. The victory was as devastating as Williams’ 32-second demolition of Kali Meehan of Australia in 2001.

Williams, a former British and Commonwealth titlist, will capitalize on his eight-inch reach advantage to spear Tyson from long distance and keep him away. He’s four inches taller and that, too, is an edge he will exploit.

If Williams isn’t scared of Tyson, he has a chance. "Williams’ biggest danger is if he freezes and makes himself a sitting target for Tyson’s bombs," said George Bearfield in Boxing News.

Williams said he’s the next Lewis but Tyson isn’t convinced.

With Lewis’ retirement, the heavyweight division is suddenly wide open. None of the reigning world champions–Vitaly Klitschko, John Ruiz or Chris Byrd–is safe on the throne.

That’s why Tyson’s comeback fight against Williams is attracting global attention. Catch the action on ABC-TV tomorrow morning. The undercard aperitifs start at 9:30 a.m.