Former heavyweight champion of the world, and the first man to ever proclaim to be the 'baddest man on the planet,' Mike Tyson, hasn’t fought inside the ropes since June of 2005, when a “Tomato Can” named Kevin McBride literally pushed him over during the end of the sixth round.
The Iron in Tyson, by then, was clearly rusted, and at that point in his long and storied career, the “has been” had been, and he simply ran out of gas.
Tyson—in this, his very last fight—was fighting on his name recognition alone, and he merely rolled over, attempted to get up, staggered to his stool, and quit. He was defeated, not by anything McBride had done, but by his own oxygen-starved body, which is a sad and pathetic by-product of being past one's prime, having diminished skills, and lacking the proper training and conditioning.
Still, these old and courageous pugilists fight on. Like war-wounded soldiers from some distant and ancient battlefield. Or jilted lovers who have long-ago worn out their welcome but hold out hope for one more last chance to get back in the good graces of their women.
A top prizefighter with name recognition, and specifically the money in which it brings, is insanely convinced he can still compete, and he pushes forward, even after the sport and the fans have long since divorced him. Most times his name will remain famous but his legacy will have diminished considerably.
Sometimes, however, having world-wide name recognition—and having a voice which is instantly recognizable—can be an incredibly useful tool. It can make an immediate impact around the world in a matter of seconds.
For a great example, which demonstrates my point that Tyson’s “name brand” power is still very-much alive and well—albeit in a not-so glamorous way—we need look no further than his latest news-making interviews.
Nowadays, Tyson claims that he is broke. But he is still able to draw a crowd and a controversy, and still earn a living, sometimes just by making an appearance or a statement. No longer using his fists to make a statement, Tyson's voice is a tool which can be used to help others
Last month, Tyson gave an interview to yahoo.com while rehearsing for his Vegas tell-all "The Undisputed Truth: Live on Stage."
Tyson, now 45, overweight, and out of shape, is no-longer as intimidating and threatening as he once was ..but he still speaks his mind. And for a man of his notoriety, choosing to speak out honestly on a subject that most of us non-celebs would rather shy away from, racism, is, in my opinion, an honorable feat.
Tyson was asked by the interviewer: "As a black kid who grew up in Brooklyn, who was beat up, and then moved to the Catskills, and has had to deal with racial issues, what are your thoughts about the Trayvon Martin case? "
MT: "My personal feeling is that, as a young kid that was beat on by a bully, the guy [Zimmerman] stalked him and didn't follow instructions from a superior officer. But my all-around perspective, I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. Even though this is the best country in the world, certain laws in this country are a disgrace to a nation of savages. It's a majority versus a minority. That's the way God planned it. He didn't want to do something about it, He wanted us to do something about it. We have to continue tweeting, we have to continue marching, we have to continue fighting for Trayvon Martin. If that's not the case, he was killed in vain, and we're just waiting for it to happen to our children. It's a disgrace that man hasn't been dragged out of his house and tied to a car and taken away. Forget about him being arrested—the fact that he hasn't been shot yet is a disgrace. That's how I feel personally about it."
*Thank you Mr. Tyson, for having a voice in this case. And most of all, unlike most celebrities, for having the guts to express your personal feelings honestly without any worry of ill-repercussions. That, my Friend, is a rare quality these days. And I commend you for it.
" Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism."
-Hunter S. Thompson
-Hunter S. Thompson
Stay Tuned.
