Tyson starts city journey
Mike Tyson today set the scene for his visit to Wolverhampton Civic Hall tomorrow night in a sobering sit-down interview shortly after his plane landed on English soil.
The former heavyweight champion of the world touched down in the country to embark on his tour of the United Kingdom, and immediately went to be interviewed by Dermot Murnaghan for Sky News.
It was left to the anchorman to put the first hard questions to 'the Baddest Man of the Planet,' one of the most notorious but instantly recognisable boxers in history from a career spanning 20 years and every world title in his division.
'Iron' Mike's lowest ebb was to be jailed for the rape in 1991 of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, an incident the man himself still denies to this day and one that cost him three years of his life.
He said: "I didn't do any crime, I was the victim of a misfortune of justice and was taken advantage of. I am never going to announce and agree with they say that I did."
Tyson has endured a troubled retirement since calling time on the sport in 2005, after filing for bankruptcy some two years before the end of his career.
Flabbergasted followers looked on as reality set in that 'Iron' Mike had squandered over $300million earned from his exploits.
Add to that the mysterious death of his four-year-old daughter Exodus earlier this year after an accident with an exercise treadmill and it's clear the tale of woe has yet to end.
Angrily refusing to talk about the death, he retorted: "I just want to have a quiet life, I want to be greatly isolated from society now when I feel I need to be.
"Nothing is coincidental, and everything happens for a reason. But defeat is a form of victory if you learn from it."
Tyson, as always, credited his original trainer Cus D'Amato with his success, who went on to become his legal guardian.
The date of the Wolverhampton visit marks 24 years to the day of his death that still cuts deep with his adopted son.
He said: "It all started with Cus when I was 11 years old, I was just a kid and he helped me."
Tickets will be available on the door for Tyson's big night at the Civic tomorrow night, or pre-order through the box office on 0870 320 7000.
VIP tickets adding a meet, greet and personal photo with the man himself, are still available through Jimmy Clyne Promotions on 01376 331 982.
