Mike Tyson playfully nibbled on the arm of his baby boy, who didn't seem all that interested in the new tattoo on his father's face. For those who were, a university instructor was on hand to explain its significance.
The atmosphere surrounding Tyson's fight with Clifford Etienne was already circuslike. The carnival officially opened for business Thursday at a news conference goofy even by Tyson's standards.
The former heavyweight champion played with his nine-month-old son, chatted with the media and acted surprised that there was such a fuss about his tattoo.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Behind him, Tonya Harding flexed her muscles, while University of Memphis instructor Kya Reaves talked nearby about the Maori warrior roots of the design on Tyson's face.
``It's indicative he wants it to represent the warrior in him,'' Reaves said.
Tyson, meanwhile, appeared to be healing rapidly from whatever ailed him earlier in the week. He split the lip of a sparring partner before making a jovial appearance to promote a fight he desperately needs to rescue his floundering career.
``They offered me more money. That makes you very, very well real quick,'' Tyson said. ``If I don't get it, I get sick rapidly real quick.''
Tyson was to get more than US$5 million to fight Etienne -- huge money unless you're Mike Tyson and used to purses that routinely top US$20 million. The free-spending Tyson needs as much as he can get because he is low on funds and owes his ex-wife US$6.5 million from his future earnings.
``I'm just thinking about what I'm going to buy myself with the cash I get,'' Tyson said.
Tyson's manager, Shelly Finkel, denied his fighter got any more money and said Tyson was just joking about his illness.
Though various reports from Tyson's camp have described him as being sick and bedridden over the weekend, he showed no ill effects when he went five rounds with sparring partner Stan Allen and sent Allen to the hospital to get stitches on his lip.
That could be bad news for Etienne, who came nattily attired to the press conference and then threw a playful jab at Tyson.
``I'd like to thank Mike for finally showing up,'' Etienne said.
Tyson's tattoo was the center of attention.
``I just wanted to put something on my face,'' Tyson said. ``I didn't like the way my face was looking.''
He got the tattoo last week but said he has been thinking about it for two years. He said there would be more to come.
``A tattoo is personal. You guys know everything about me,'' he said. ``There's billions of people outside with tattoos. This is nothing. This isn't even halfway done.''
In Tyson's prime, someone like Etienne wouldn't worry him at all. But Tyson has been exposed in recent fights -- particularly his loss to Lennox Lewis -- as a fighter with declining skills and dwindling dedication.
Tyson weighed in Thursday at 101.5kg to 100.2kg for Etienne.
Oddsmakers had made Tyson a 7-1 favorite, but that dropped to 4-1 after a week of missed workouts and illness. At the Stardust sports book, most of the money was on Etienne until he vowed not to fight on Tuesday, only to change his mind the next day.
``His reversal and hesitation leads me to believe he's very intimidated,'' said Doug Castaneda, a supervisor at the Stardust.
Through much of the formal press conference, Tyson played with his son, Miguel, taking off the boy's shirt and letting him play with a microphone.
``I want him to be a fighter so I want him to get accustomed to what's going on,'' Tyson said.
The boy sat quietly, watching as his father spent half an hour affably answering questions about his tattoo, his illness and his desire to keep fighting.
In between, he accused promoter Don King of trying to sabotage the fight by claiming Tyson shouldn't be allowed to fight sick and with a fresh tattoo. Tyson was scheduled to be examined by a doctor for the Tennessee boxing commission just before Thursday afternoon's weigh-in.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS