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I was just thinking about this and was it not one of the biggest shams ever perpetrated on the boxing public ?
Didn't last long either, it turned out to be a horrid one off PPV with Tyson sparring a poor one eyed Cory Sanders.
Tyson insisted on wearing a "Michael Steele for Senate" shirt and a fat bloated Lou Devalle also fought on the card.
Bizarre. :p
It was a feeble attempt at getting rounds under Mikes belt and trying to make him feel confident/comfortable with being in the ring to have another stab at a comeback.
The reason I say it was a feeble attempt is he had a pathetic bunch of hangers on around him that were trying to squeeze the very last bit of enthusiasm out of him to make some cash out of his name while it was still there. Fenech is a crap trainer. He also had that wannabe film star hanging around for the notoriety and advising Mike to do anything that might help raise his own profile. I genuinly think that Mike gets embarrased at having to resort to pimping himself out doing publicity stunts like this to earn, which is why it stopped there. You were once the most exciting fighter and biggest draw on the planet and now have to sign aitographs, do pad work in the lobby of a hotel and sparr with journeymen to make a living.
Remember he wore a T shirt in that fight, that must have been because he was out of condition and just fat. I would have bought it. :)
Tom Patti was the name of the particular hanger on that was an actor. He hactually did train at Catskill around the time Mike was there and was friends with him but his hanging on was to create publicity for himself. If you look on facebook, hes put hes working at some crane company now! I hope Mike has got rid of all those bums who need him. None of them are doing anything as successfull or high profile as when they were just scrounging from Mike. Hes probably the biggest gravy train that boxing has ever had. The only people who cant be regarded as leaches around Mike are the ones who were there from the start and heled create his career, like Rooney and Lott.
I hope Tyson has made up with Lott and Rooney, if he has with King then he can certainly make up with those two.
Thing is, he knows he shit on them and not the other way around and is embarassed with him self.
He has tried seeing Kevin, actually going to Catskill within the last 10 years but Kevin wasnt around. Kevin said that he was told Mike had come around looking asking for him.
Tyson visited Steve Lott a few months before the Lewis fight and Lot spoke with him about a plan of reuniting with Rooney and doing a tour of sparring with troops in their bases posted in the middle east to raise moral and then a programme of a few bouts under Rooney leading to a title shot. He spoke with Mike for a few hours and Mike was very interested. Mike had his leaches with him and they feared losing their gravy train and completetly took the idea out of his head after he left.
Yes there were tons of hangers on and shady people around Mike Tyson. I agree Ross.
But back to the point at hand do you remember this particular PPV ?
Tyson rocked Cory Sanders a couple of times and seemed to hold him up to keep him from going down.
Sanders for his part was clearly instructed NOT to hit Mike back or even try.
It was fucked up.