Asked by ABC News correspondent Paula Faris whether he felt any shame for his 1992 rape conviction or for biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997, Tyson admits, “None of that stuff shames me. Only thing that shames me is that I was really poor.” Tyson confesses of his mother, “I wish I knew what to say to her to make her like me. His speed and power as a boxer caught the attention of legendary trainer Cus D’Amato. Even though D’Amato knew he had a future heavyweight champ in his corner, he also knew that the neglect and abuse Tyson suffered as a boy could one day destroy him. D’Amato told Tyson, “If you don’t face your demons, they’ll haunt you til the day you die.” Convicted of raping a contestant for Miss Black America, Desiree Washington, some would think 1992 was the year Tyson hit rock bottom. He disagrees. Prison — far from being hellish — became a place where Tyson says he could be “free.” “I was pretty much adapted to being there,” Tyson reasons. “All my life I’ve been institutionalized … I knew how to conduct myself in these places.” Scarier for Tyson was the free world and the stresses of life he never learned to cope with. So what will Mike Tyson put on his tombstone when that day comes? “I don’t want anything on my tombstone. I think dead people take up too much space.” ABC News Maurice Abbate contributed to this episode.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:19:22 +0000
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