Mike Tyson was once the baddest man on the planet; now he’ll be circling that planet as a self-titled ambassador to spread the gospel of boxing to the Chinese.
“I didn’t even know what an ambassador really was,” Tyson said on Thursday. “When I think of ambassadors, I think of living off government money and jet-setting with girlfriends.”
No government money just yet, though a Chinese company is paying Tyson to visit in December. No girlfriends, either, especially since his wife is due to give birth to a baby boy early next year and no real formal agenda.
“I know he wants to see Chairman Mao [Zedong]’s body,” said Gary Yang, an executive with Tianjin International Sports Development in China.
The Chinese want to see Tyson too, if Yang and his partner, Qing Yu, are correct.
They held a press conference on Thursday to announce a deal for Tyson to visit the country and scout boxers for a series of matches in the city of Tianjin.
The news seemed to be news to Tyson too.
“Mike hasn’t been brought up to speed really, but if Mike likes what he sees, there can be many, many more trips to China,” promoter Sterling McPherson said.
Apparently Tyson had not brought the Chinese up to speed either, because he has already seen Mao’s tomb on a visit to China in 2006. Tyson has spoken fondly of Mao in the past and has a tattoo of the former Chinese leader on his right arm.
As appearances go, it was a far cry from the days when a glowering Tyson used to show up an hour late and then sneer at anyone who dared ask a question. Reborn over the last few years as an actor, dancer and pitchman, he got a chance to show off his new comedic side.
“Can we talk about what will take place on the trip?” someone asked.
“Yeah, tell me,” Tyson replied. “I’m pretty interested.”
Just what Tyson will be doing in China was not quite clear.
“I’m just as clueless as you, but I’m an ambassador, so I should have some say,” Tyson said.
Yang talked vaguely about having Tyson looking for talent for boxing shows in China, where amateur boxing is thriving, and perhaps helping to sell tickets to shows.
“Chinese people just love Mr Tyson,” he said. “He’s above [Muhammad] Ali there, though I shouldn’t say that.”
Tyson probably shouldn’t have said so much either, but the press conference was faltering and in need of rescue. In answer to a question, he said he liked Thai food better than Chinese.
When it came to the state of boxing in China, he had some ways to make it better too.
“Didn’t you guys have an altercation with the Japanese people at one time?” he asked Yang. “Here’s what you do: You go looking for a Chinese fighter who will beat the evil Japanese guy and get revenge. That will sell.”
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