WASHINGTON, 14 June 2005 — Muhammad Ali surprised Mike Tyson with a locker room visit before what became Tyson’s final fight, the legend seemingly knowing that Tyson would learn the hard lesson he had about staying in boxing too long.
The magical meeting of legends and Tyson’s subsequent retirement Saturday after surrendering to Irish journeyman Kevin McBride following the sixth round defeat here brought a full-circle closure to a boxing era of greatness.
Ali dominated boxing in the 1960s and 1970s while Tyson inherited the throne in the 1980s, but both men stayed in the ring long past their prime, Ali paying a terrible price now by struggling to communicate due to Parkinson’s Disease.
Just having “The Greatest” watch as Tyson had his gloves strapped on for the final time was enough to leave Tyson awestruck.
“I’m just overwhelmed this man knows my name. I can’t believe he knows who I am,” Tyson said. “I first met him as a kid and I’ve never forgotten it.” Ali was stripped of his title in 1967 for refusing to become a US soldier in Vietnam but won a Supreme Court appeal and reclaimed the crown twice before losing his 1981 farewell to Trevor Berbick.
It was Berbick whom Tyson beat in 1986 at age 20 to become the youngest champion in heavyweight history. Tyson lacked Ali’s wordplay skills and persona but was “The Baddest Man on the Planet” by overwhelming foes for three years.
Tyson struggled through an emotional breakup with actress-wife Robin Givens and saw his ring reign end when Buster Douglas knocked him out in Tokyo in 1990, inflicting the first defeat of Tyson’s career. “My career has been over since 1990,” Tyson said after losing to McBride. “I don’t believe I can beat Father Time.”
Tyson’s downward spiral continued. He was convicted of rape in 1992 for a 1991 incident in Indianapolis involving 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington. He served three years and returned to boxing in 1995.
Backed by wily promoter Don King, Tyson beat Britain’s Frank Bruno and US foe Bruce Seldon in 1996 to reclaim two world heavyweight crowns.
But he lost to Evander Holyfield later that year and was disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ears in a 1997 title rematch. Banned for a year, Tyson made another return in 1999 and nearly broke South African Francois Botha’s arm.
Tyson has long exploited the freak-show nature of his checkered past for profits, the ‘what will he do next factor’ bringing curiosity and riches.
“I’m an entertainer. I entertain them even though they won’t let me in their homes, they won’t let me marry their daughters,” Tyson said Saturday. “I’ve just been performing. I just have a job.”
Tyson’s final meaningful appearance came in 2002 when Britain’s Lennox Lewis, snubbed by Tyson six years earlier at the cost of a crown, stopped him in the eighth round of their world title fight.
Tyson attempted a comeback last year but was stopped by Britain’s Danny Williams in the fourth round. Tyson talked tough before his latest comeback bid but it proved to be false bravado.
Against McBride, an increasingly desperate Tyson tried thug moves, twisting McBride’s arm in a potential breaking move and head-butting his much-larger foe, opening a gash under the Irishman’s left eye.
Tyson gave up when those moves failed, drawing the line at ear bites.
“I felt like I was 120 years old,” Tyson said. “I feel like Rip Van Winkle right now.”
“Iron Mike” became “Irony Mike” after his ring farewell. The man who once threatened to eat Lennox Lewis’ children said, “I don’t think I have the stomach for this anymore.”
