COCAINE, REDD FOXX & THE TYSON CORONATION
Mike Tyson
San Francisco, CA– The date of November 22nd to me is a daunting one for in real life back in 1963, President Kennedy was murdered and our system of Government has never been the same. On the positive side, November 22nd is also the date of the Mike Tyson heavyweight championship coronation in 1986 the Las Vegas Hilton promoted by Don King.
Redd Foxx
SCALPERS DIDN’T HAVE ANY SEATS
It was one of those fights where one thought you could pick up a pair of tickets from a scalper, but that wasn’t the case as Tyson-Berbick tickets were harder to get than a BJ on the moon. This was a special day in fistic history as the 20-year (+four months) Tyson made an indelible mark on the sport of prize fighting in not only being the youngest, but the most dominant champ since George Foreman’s first title run in the 70s.
IS WELTER KING KELL BROOK TYSON-LIKE?
Looking invincible in the ring, the question with Tyson is the same as it was with ex-middleweight king Michael Nunn, how long could he stay out of trouble outside of the ring. Because much like Nunn and his native Davenport, Iowa, the streets of New York presented lots of problems for Mike Tyson. The fight with Mitch Green outside of a 24-hour clothing store in Harlem that sold Superfly-like attire, was yet another instance where Mike was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not as often as the thrice-stabbed IBF welterweight (147) king Kell Brook of the UK, but there were things that got “buried” and never came to the public’s attention.
TYSON MADE FOES **** ON THEMSELVES
All the while, Tyson was knocking them dead. After initially going 19-0 with 19 whacks, only the aforementioned Mitch Green and James Tillis were able to take Tyson to the judges before his becoming champion. Once he got there, only Tony Tucker and James “Bone-Hugger” Smith were able to go the route with the still “Iron Mike.”
MIKE BURNT’ OUT BY 1990
With a great training camp and his :93 second summer of ’89 KO of the late Carl “The Truth” Williams behind him, Tyson started “rolling the dice” as training for the Buster Douglas meltdown in February 1889 was so bad that it had been anybody but Buster, the fight would have been postponed. Promoter King knew Tyson was doing Blow, banging geisha type broads more than the punching bag, that he had been dropped by both the late Greg Page and Mike Jamieson in training, everybody involved knew Mike was in no shape to fight,
BUSTER HAD “RAP SHEET” AS DOG!
Redd Foxx’ Famous Line!
But the opponent was serial quitter James “Buster” Douglas, who while ahead of Tony Tucker in an IBF title tilt with the winner to fight Tyson, James simply quit fighting and the contest was halted. Even though Tyson was not in shape, the xonsensus was that once Tyson caught Buster he would dog it and quit. That time came in round nine when Mike dropped Buster with a vicious uppercut.
TYSON ADMITS BEING “FINISHED” YEARS LATER
His manager John Johnson and promoter King both did not think that Buster would get up, let alone fight back. This looked like the perfect time for Douglas to surrender. Instead, James got up and went on to knock Mike Tyson out one round later. Even though Douglas won, his career was over. Tyson knew he was finished as he told me in 2006 after losing his final bout to Kevin McBride, “I haven’t been the same since ’89.”
THE COCAINE & FRED G. SANFORD
Comedian Redd Foxx, most famous for playing Fred Sanford in Sanford & Son, Redd came rushing into the Hilton showroom about 15 minutes prior to the first bell. My friend Lenny “El Animal” Albert asked me to take a picture of he and Redd. As I snapped the camera I noticed white powder lodged below both nasal ports and some Colombian Dust on his sweater as well. Classic Vegas!.
Pedro Fernandez