- yesterday
Mike Tyson returns to the ring to take on Clifford Etienne in a Heavyweight Bout on Showtime International. Col. Bob Sheridan is on the call, this was also shown in the US, but with the regular Showtime Broadcast. This is a different version.
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00:00Tennessee and we're glad that
00:01you can be with us because
00:02coming up shortly now is the
00:03main event of the evening.
00:05Glad we had the opportunity to
00:06show you Mike Tyson and Brian
00:08Nielsen and we'll have this big
00:10fight underway momentarily.
00:11All right this is the live scene
00:31here at the pyramid in Memphis
00:32Tennessee this place seats around
00:34fifteen sixteen thousand people
00:36for boxing they've got in excess
00:38of ten or twelve thousand people
00:39in here they tell me as you can
00:41see it's a fine crowd that has
00:42turned out and just absolutely
00:44miserable conditions around here
00:46fog delayed many flights yesterday
00:48rain all day today torrential
00:50downpour about two hours before we
00:52showed up coming up next the weigh
00:54in for the Mike Tyson clip at ATN
00:56fight that took place a couple of
00:58days ago in Tunaga Mississippi where
01:00the fighters trained the last few
01:02days for this fight you know the
01:03history of this fight you know it
01:05was on again off again you know
01:07that Mike Tyson pulled out of the
01:08fight last Monday then Tuesday he
01:11woke up and said I'm ready to fight
01:13he told his trainer Freddie Roach his
01:14other man that worked his corner
01:16Jeff Fennec from Australia the
01:18Hall of Fame fighter had taken off
01:20and gone back to Australia when we
01:23interviewed Freddie Roach yesterday
01:25we asked him if and as a matter of
01:28fact was Fennec back and he hadn't
01:29seen him as yet we still don't know
01:31because we didn't see Fennec or
01:32Freddie Roach when Tyson was
01:34arriving and we'll we'll know that
01:36when they show up we've got the
01:38weigh-in for you and as you know that
01:40the weigh-ins of Mike Tyson have been
01:42interesting we'll listen in welcome to
01:44the weigh-in the heavyweight weigh-in
01:45between Mike Tyson and Clifford
01:48Etienne this Saturday at the Pyramid in
01:51Memphis Tennessee at the scales Billy
01:55Lyons the head of the Mississippi
01:56Tennessee Commission weighing first Mike
02:02Tyson
02:03Tom Patrick from the Tennessee
02:13Commission is doing the weighing
02:14what's the weight the weight 225 and
02:27three-quarters Mike Tyson 225 and
02:31three-quarters
02:31Clifford Etienne 222 and three-quarters
02:42two two two and three-quarters all
02:46right so that was the weigh-in from a
02:48couple of days ago Mike Tyson the
02:50significant factor is that he came
02:52in at 225 and three-quarters he
02:54weighed 234 pounds when he fought
02:57Lennox Lewis that would be indicative
02:59of the fact that he trained very hard
03:01for five weeks before something
03:03happened a week ago Monday that set
03:05Tyson off and then he went out and
03:07got the tattoo all kinds of publicity
03:09surrounding that and the on again
03:11off again situation leading up to this
03:14fight but the fact of the matter is
03:15in the first five weeks that he
03:17trained for this fight Freddie Roach
03:19said that Mike Tyson did an
03:20exceptional job he worked very hard
03:22Freddie did say in his opinion that
03:24as you take a look at the aerial view
03:27here of the pyramid where we're
03:28located that the first five weeks
03:30were great he trained hard and there
03:34were times when Tyson didn't want to
03:35give any more and Freddie told him
03:37look he gave me one more round and he
03:38was willing to give him the one more
03:40round so Freddie has made a positive
03:44impact on Mike Tyson and Mike worked
03:47extremely hard he's worked during the
03:49week here in Tennessee he sprouting a
03:51couple of occasions he spired five
03:53rounds and he's split the lip of his
03:56sparring partner Stanley Allen with a
03:58good uppercut on Wednesday and in
04:00spite of the fact that Freddie says
04:02that he's only about 80% he thinks
04:05that Mike can really do the job if he
04:08gets right after ATN goes after him
04:10immediately and on the other hand the
04:12fellow that trains ATN is a fellow by
04:15the name of Buddy McGirt and Buddy says
04:17that ATN has plenty of respect for
04:20Mike but he thinks that he punches and
04:21moves and tries to drag this guy into
04:24the fourth or fifth round that he can
04:26still wear Tyson down and that's what
04:28this fight is all about earlier
04:32tonight the referee Bill Clancy gave
04:34instructions to at the end and let's
04:36drop into the dressing room and we'll
04:37hear exactly what Bill had to say to
04:39Cliff at ATN
04:39the light break I don't want to have to
04:49touch you guys just when I say break
04:51turn Mike loose take a full step back
04:55away from him I'll expect him to do the
04:56same thing you do not throw a punch to
04:58you hear me say box okay if you throw the
05:01punch before I say box then you consider
05:03hitting on the front nothing back here
05:06nothing back here I'm going to get a
05:08punch or get out you're punching get
05:10out of these cool it's not the only
05:11command break
05:14expected
05:16keep your mouthpiece in you know what
05:18you're doing all right just give me a
05:20good clean fight
05:22okay any questions once you second in
05:25the ring that's you okay I wish you all
05:27the luck
05:30thank you all right those are the
05:34instructions of Bill Clancy to Cliff at
05:36ATN now Bill also told me as I spoke to
05:39him before he went into ATN's dressing
05:41room what he was going to say to Mike
05:43Tyson and he told me that he would tell
05:45Mike look at I want to do one thing and
05:47that's keep you eligible he Bill said
05:49that he'll tell Tyson I know that you can
05:52protect yourself but what I want to do
05:54is make sure that you stay eligible I
05:56don't want you to do anything dramatic
05:58like trying to throw me off when I come
05:59in because if there's action going in
06:01the bell sounds I'm going to jump in
06:02there and try to get you out I don't
06:04want anything to happen in this fight
06:06that reflects bad on boxing or the
06:08sport of boxing in this area and it
06:10reflects bad on me so if you try to
06:12shrug me off I will disqualify you and
06:14Mike it's the last thing I want to do is
06:17to disqualify you and if Bill Clancy did
06:19in fact go ahead and tell Mike Tyson that
06:21I believe that those types of
06:22instructions are exactly the type of
06:24thing that Mike Tyson can understand
06:25when somebody stands up to him tell
06:27him look at Mike this is the way it's
06:28going to be and Freddie Roach as a
06:30matter of fact himself told us that
06:31that was pretty much the way that Mike
06:32is a very coachable guy that Mike is
06:35a not only a student of boxing a
06:37historian of boxing but he really
06:40would like to carry on and get another
06:44big shot at a major title and win the
06:46championship back but the question is
06:49at age 36 does he have the skills to
06:51be able to do it Freddie said there
06:53are a lot of things that he needs to
06:54do when he throws the left hand and he
06:57squares up as we showed you he's doing
06:58the Nielsen fight how come he doesn't
07:00pivot out like he used to in the
07:02younger days well those are the things
07:04he has to do and if he does things
07:06like that and Freddie said you know at
07:07this stage at age 36 I really can't
07:09teach him anything all I can do is get
07:11him back to the basics and if he
07:13executes him he'll do very well but
07:15he's still 36 years old and my
07:18question to all of you is can you name
07:20me a compact busy fighter like a Mike
07:23Tyson Joe Frazier Rocky Masiano type that
07:26was very successful late and it was
07:29mid-30s it was late 30s and the answer
07:31to that question is no Joe Frazier was
07:33done at age 32 and he was certainly
07:35great and every bit as intimidating as
07:38Mike Tyson is Rocky Masiano was done at
07:4132 and certainly dominated his career
07:44prior to that of Muhammad Ali and Sonny
07:48Liston and that crowd and so can Mike
07:52Tyson really be effective at age 36 I
07:54don't know but he certainly is a
07:56tremendous attraction both in and
07:58outside the ring Mike Tyson you know
08:01all about his history and he really
08:03is a guy that's been taken advantage
08:05of throughout his career you know I
08:07feel bad for the guy and I've
08:09discussed it with a lot of
08:10commissioners of boxing around the
08:11country and around the world I've
08:13discussed it with a lot of writers
08:15and people said the guy should be
08:17banned he should be thrown out this is
08:18the single most big attraction in the
08:21sport of boxing and I feel differently I
08:23think the guy should be allowed to
08:25compete as long as he keeps it clean
08:26and these guys do everything there's a
08:28shot outside the locker room of Mike
08:29Tyson they don't let anybody in there
08:31to do any chit-chatting with Mike
08:33beforehand so we can't tell you if in
08:36fact Jeff Fennec is back with him Fennec has a
08:39tremendous influence on him they're very
08:41similar guys and that they're street sort of
08:43guys with a lot of street sense and very
08:45smart men in terms of the boxing and how to
08:49fight in the ring and so we hope that
08:52Fennec is back and we certainly want
08:54to say hello to the boys from Angelo
08:56Hyder's crowd from the Central Coast
08:58League's club down there in Australia
09:00because Jeff Fennec if he is here he'll
09:02be sure that he would want me to mention
09:05them and Bernie Balmer and the
09:06commissioners and all the guys were so
09:07good to us when we were down there for
09:09the big fight involving Costa Zoo a
09:11month ago but we welcome not only the
09:13people watching in Australia and New
09:15Zealand and all the places around the
09:17world we've just been notified by our
09:19producer Frank Dalmont and that we are
09:23going to have the ring walks in just a
09:24couple of minutes so you stick right
09:25with us and we'll tell you a little
09:26bit more about the interviews we did
09:28with Mike Tyson yesterday we talked
09:30about the strategic deal that Freddie
09:34talked about and the pivoting on the
09:36left foot with his hooks if he can do
09:38that he's been getting away from the
09:41basic things and if he gets back to
09:42some of those things or will he just
09:44revert back like a lot of fighters do
09:45they do things in the gym and then
09:47what a fighters do when they get into
09:48a fight they fight and they most of
09:51the time nine out of ten times they
09:53revert right back to what they know
09:55this is a big situation for at the
09:57end because at the end says he's
09:59going to come out with bullets and
10:01gun smoke that's those are his words
10:03bullets and gun smoke and if he does
10:05it could be a short night on the
10:07other hand what happens if he catches
10:08Mike Tyson you know you always hear the
10:11situation about if you catch a bully
10:12and back him off but one thing that
10:14his trainer who by the way has been
10:16elected by the Boxing Matters
10:17Association of America Buddy McGirt
10:20has been named the trainer of the
10:22year who was offered the job of
10:24training Mike Tyson and he elected
10:26to train Clifford ATN for a lot of
10:28reasons and of course Freddie
10:30Roach found out what most of those
10:32reasons were just in the last week
10:34with what turned from a wonderful
10:36training camp in Las Vegas for Mike
10:38Tyson into a circus for the past
10:40week and had everybody at the
10:41American Network Showtime with
10:43their hearts and their throaters
10:44who were doing a big promotional
10:45deal for the entire spring and
10:47falling rock concerts and boxing
10:50and the promotion of their network
10:52here in the United States so maybe
10:55Buddy McGirt made the right
10:56decision but we'll find out as
10:57this fight unfolds at the end
10:59similar background in that he got
11:01in trouble at the age of 17 years
11:03old but he comes from a real good
11:05family his dad works his corner he
11:08has not only Buddy McGirt and Jimbo
11:10Stevenson in there but J.C.
11:11Davis and his dad Clifford at the
11:13end senior also works in the
11:15corner and now the crowd seems to
11:17be coming to life as more
11:18celebrities and there are tons of
11:20celebrities here because while
11:21there's no world title at stake
11:23whenever Mike Tyson's around well
11:25they've turned out unmasked for
11:26this fight and I'm glad that you
11:28can with us I'm Bob Sheridan the
11:29Colonel here and glad that you can
11:31be with us we're coming to you
11:32live from the pyramid in Memphis
11:35Tennessee and momentarily this is
11:37the locker room of Clifford ATN and
11:40he'll begin to make his way out now
11:43Clifford ATN as I mentioned a
11:45really nice kid that got in
11:47trouble he also was incarcerated
11:49for about 10 years and didn't
11:50begin his professional career to
11:52the age of 28 in December of 98
11:55he went 19 and 0 before losing his
11:57first fight to Fresno Kendo in
11:59March of 01 and then he's gone
12:025-0-1 since that lost to Fresno
12:04Kendo a lot of people question as
12:07Jim will listen to our ring announcer
12:08Jimmy Lennon as he makes the
12:09announcement
12:10ladies and gentlemen along with
12:13recording artist mystical please
12:15welcome the explosive top 10
12:18heavyweight contender from
12:20Louisiana Clifford ATN
12:24what's up y'all I'm about to bring a
12:35black rhino out here and do you know
12:37what time it is danger what time is it
12:41danger that's right get on the floor
12:45the black rhino right here sing
12:48and
13:02and
13:15I'm off you, I'm from the zone, so quiet yourself.
13:18Now, you're trying to get beside yourself.
13:20I know, I know it though.
13:23I'm from the drive, the shake, the stand, I know.
13:27Forget your can't, can't, can't, can't.
13:29Pop it, head down, make it pop, pop it, pop it.
13:32I'm about to meet that day.
13:33Now, smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke.
13:35I'm going to spin over.
13:36I'm going to spin over.
13:37I'm going to spin over.
13:38I'm going to spin over.
13:39Yeah, yeah.
13:40Yeah, yeah, yeah.
13:41Yeah, yeah.
13:42Get up, sir.
13:43What's up?
13:48Showtime.
13:50Get on now.
13:52What is that you want to see?
13:55Look at the last round.
13:57Girl, there's nothing on it.
13:59You're on the ground.
14:00What's up, baby?
14:01I'm looking at the club all.
14:04Get going.
14:06The building ain't been enough.
14:11serve you on the ground.
14:12Thank you so much, baby.
14:29Let's get in the blood, we'll do it.
14:31That's what we did.
14:34Been so long.
14:35Say!
14:36Get on the blood.
14:39The Black Vinyl right here.
14:42Say!
14:43Been so long.
14:45Say!
14:46Woo!
14:48Get on the blood.
14:50The Black Vinyl right here.
14:52Showtime Black Vinyl.
14:55All right, Clifford ATN, 24-1-1, 17 KOs from Baton Rouge in Louisiana,
15:02right here in the southern part of the United States of America.
15:05And there he comes, Mike Tyson.
15:07Tyson at his best, superbly confident.
15:09We'll listen to Jimmy Lennon.
15:11Making his way into the ring.
15:13The most exciting fighter of his generation.
15:16Please welcome Iron Mike Tyson.
15:20The bodyguards around Mike as he makes his way in, and I don't see Jeff, and then again,
15:30I don't see Freddie Roach either, but certainly Freddie's got to be around.
15:46Well, he always looks conditioned.
15:48Will he have to go four or five rounds is the big question.
15:51If ATN, who is a very aggressive guy in his own right, comes out banging,
15:57it'll be interesting to see how this fight goes.
15:59It should be very, very explosive and very exciting from the get-go.
16:04I see Shelly Finkel's manager is with him.
16:20There's Freddie Roach right there with the glasses next to Mike Tyson,
16:25in front of the security personnel.
16:27The security people stopping there because there's tight security here around this major sporting event.
16:37Only a certain amount of people are allowed to go to the ring.
16:40Now, remember the tattoo.
16:43It's on the left side of his face.
16:45You get a good shot of it here.
16:47And all kinds of controversy surrounding that leading up to it,
16:50whether he actually got an allergic reaction to the tattoo.
16:54So all of the Maori warriors down in New Zealand that are watching,
16:59Georgie Calvin, the boys, I know that you must be pleased
17:03that Mike is at least showing his Maori culture.
17:07And he says he's not done with that tattoo.
17:09That tattoo fascinated the world this week.
17:12Here he comes, Mike Tyson.
17:13Tremendous crowd reaction to Mike, but then he electrifies the crowd.
17:38He ripped the towel over his head and threw it on the canvas in front of Cliff at ATN
17:43in a sort of intimidating sort of manner.
17:55I'll tell you one thing, folks.
17:57There's no place I'd rather be than right here, right now with this one.
18:00Because no matter what happens with Mike Tyson involved, it is exciting.
18:04This crowd is absolutely electricity.
18:11Cliff at ATN decked out in his red trunks.
18:13There it is, the good shot of the Maori tattoo.
18:17Evidently, Mike saw a story on the warriors of New Zealand.
18:21And that's what he modeled that tattoo from.
18:23And he says it's going to cover the holes out of his face one of these days.
18:27Probably not such a good idea to get a tattoo like that ten days before a fight.
18:32It created pandemonium, as you well know.
18:39As you take a look at the tail of the tape, it'll tell you a couple of things.
18:43Mike Tyson is three inches shorter.
18:45He's three pounds heavier.
18:47He's four years older than Cliff at ATN.
18:50And he has a two and a half inch shorter reach.
18:54He's coming off that loss last June to Lennox Lewis.
18:59You take a look at the rules, the ten point mass scoring system.
19:02There is a standing eight count.
19:04There is a three knockdown rule.
19:06And a fighter can be saved by the bell in the last round only.
19:09Only the referee can stop a fight.
19:11These are the local rules of boxing here in the state of Tennessee.
19:16And by the way, just in case the heads come together or anything of that nature,
19:20accidental headbutt, a little bit different than the unified rules.
19:24The fight must start the fourth round before it becomes official.
19:29So here we go.
19:32Here's Jimmy Lennon, Jr.
19:34Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you and welcome to the pyramid here in Memphis, Tennessee,
19:48for our big night of action and our featured bout of the evening.
19:53And it's all brought to you by Gary Shaw Productions, Prize Fight Promotions,
19:58and Fight Night, Inc., in association with Grand Casino Tunicov.
20:03This bout coming away a sanctioned by the Tennessee Boxing Commission,
20:07the director, Tommy Patrick.
20:09Our physicians at ringside, Dr. Mike Miller and Dr. Jerry Floyd.
20:13Timekeeper at the bell is Doug Atkin, keeping count of the knockdowns, Stephen McAdoo.
20:19Introducing to you our three judges scoring this bout from ringside.
20:23From Chattanooga, Tennessee, Richard Barth.
20:26From Biloxi, Mississippi, Fred Steinwinder, the third.
20:31And from Franklin, Tennessee, Ken Whitehead.
20:34Our third man of the ring, the referee in charge of this bout,
20:37from Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Bill Clancy.
20:44All right, fans.
20:46Here we go with our main event of the evening.
20:50Ten rounds of boxing at a heavyweight special attraction.
20:54And now, ladies and gentlemen in attendance, and boxing fans joining us around the world.
21:01It's the time you've all been waiting for.
21:04Live from Memphis, it is showtime!
21:10Introducing to you first on my left.
21:21He is fighting out of the blue corner, wearing red trunks, and joining us from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
21:27He weighed in at 222.75 pounds.
21:32With a record of 24 wins, one loss, and one draw.
21:37He has 17 wins coming by way of knockout.
21:41He is ranked number seven in the world by the IBF, number three by the WBO.
21:46Tonight, he makes a charge toward a heavyweight world title challenge.
21:51Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Black Rhino.
21:55Introducing Clifford Atien!
22:06And his opponent across the ring on my right, fighting out of the red corner.
22:11Really needing no introduction the world over.
22:15Entering the ring, wearing his traditional black trunks, and hailing from Catskill, New York.
22:22His weight 225.75 pounds.
22:25His fearsome record includes 49 wins.
22:28Four losses, two no contests, with 43 big wins coming by way of knockout.
22:35Having already established himself in the record books as boxing's youngest heavyweight champion.
22:41Tonight, he renews his quest to dominate the division.
22:45Introducing the number four ranked heavyweight contender.
22:50Here is the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
22:56Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one and only Iron Mike Treason.
23:13Once again, a referee in charge, Bill Clancy.
23:15Now to give instructions, ten rounds of action scheduled.
23:19Bring it in, Mike.
23:22All right, Mike and Cliff are scheduled for ten rounds.
23:24I know when you went through the instructions in the dressing room.
23:28You must obey my commands at all times.
23:31Give me a good, clean fight.
23:33Protect yourself.
23:34Mike, you're a little high right here.
23:36Freddie's a little high if it rides up, okay?
23:38We'll watch it.
23:39Cliff, you're okay.
23:40Give me a good, clean fight, gentlemen.
23:41Obey my commands.
23:42Any questions, Mike?
23:43Any questions, Cliff?
23:44Touch them up, gentlemen.
23:45God bless.
23:46Good luck.
23:47All right, we're set to go.
23:49There's no heavyweight championship at stake,
23:51but there is heavyweight championship electricity in this crowd, my friends.
23:56We're at the pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee.
23:58There's Mike Tyson.
23:59There are the tattoos.
24:00I'm Bob Sheridan.
24:01Glad that you're going to be with us around the world,
24:03and I just hope that you feel the excitement for the start of this fight
24:06that we feel right here in Memphis.
24:08There he is, Clifford Etienne.
24:10He's a guy who's very aggressive, and we'll see how aggressive he's going to be
24:14with Mike Tyson in the early going.
24:16If all predictions are true, it should be fast and furious in the early going.
24:19Here we go.
24:20Etienne right across the ring.
24:21Neither guy has thrown a punch yet.
24:23Etienne reaches out with the left end.
24:24Mike on top of him, bangs him with the left hook right away.
24:26Etienne bends over, then hangs on and walks him back,
24:29and falls towards Mike Tyson.
24:31And time is called.
24:33Now, Bill Clancy, the referee, will talk to Etienne about making it sloppy.
24:37They want to keep it clean, and he dusts the gloves off of Mike Tyson as well.
24:41Etienne wants to be assured he established with Mike Tyson
24:44that he's not afraid of him.
24:46Mike showing nice head movement and rolling a little bit.
24:49He bangs Mike inside with the right hand.
24:51Well, the right hand is Etienne.
24:53Etienne tries to catch him.
24:55Tyson ties him up now, Etienne hanging on.
24:57And the referee, Bill Clancy, able to separate the two.
25:00Good instructions given by the ref in the early going.
25:03Mike gets it with the right hand, and Etienne is down.
25:06He was really nailed with a flip right hand.
25:09It's up to five and six.
25:11He's not going to make it.
25:12It's seven, eight, nine, and ten.
25:15He knocks him out in the first round with a flush right hand.
25:20Man, before the seats got hot in the pyramid,
25:23a crunching right hand to the side of the jaw of Clifton Etienne.
25:28And it's all over.
25:29Mike Tyson in dramatic fashion knocks out Clifton Etienne
25:33in the early seconds of the first round.
25:36It came in a bolt out of the blue at 49 seconds of the first round.
25:41How about that?
25:42Wow!
25:43Well, you can say what you want, but he's the best first round fighter,
26:00maybe in the history of the heavyweight division.
26:03Mike Tyson, the million-dollar punch on the jaw taken by Etienne.
26:10A crushing right hand shot.
26:13And it's been that sort of night here at the pyramid
26:16with first and second round knockouts, and this one's no exception.
26:20We really expected Etienne to give him some problems early,
26:23but it didn't work that way because Mike caught him with a flush right hand.
26:28And for all the talk about the lack of preparation,
26:31the five good weeks that this man had,
26:33bringing up the handle Clifton Etienne,
26:36had 49 seconds of the first round as it came,
26:39and nailed him right high on the cheek.
26:43On the left side of the cheek of Clifton Etienne,
26:46and it's all she wrote as he was counted out.
26:49Tyson knocks him out at 49 seconds of the first round.
26:55And in all honesty, that's exactly the kind of performance that Tyson needed.
26:59Let's get it from Jimmy Lennon.
27:02And 49 seconds in round number one,
27:06a referee in charge, Bill Clancy reaches the count of ten.
27:10He's the winner by way of knockout, Iron Mike Tyson.
27:19Boy, how about that?
27:31Mike Tyson before the seats got warm,
27:33just nailed him on the right hand.
27:37Now Jim Gray is right in there with him.
27:39We're gonna pick this interview up.
27:42As soon as Jim has Mike,
27:45there's Jim there as you see him,
27:47and he'll grab Mike as soon as...
27:48That's how we get back.
27:50We gotta tell him more about this tonight.
27:52Buddy McGurk.
27:53Thank you, buddy.
27:54Love you, man.
27:55God bless you, buddy.
27:56Yeah, man.
27:57Come a long way.
27:58I've been trying, sir.
27:59You're still doing it.
28:00Since I'm 14, huh?
28:02Thank you, sir.
28:03Mike Clifford Etienne pulled you aside, Mike,
28:05and he said something to you in your ear that nobody could hear.
28:07What exactly was it that he said?
28:09To be honest, he said you need to stop bullshitting and be serious.
28:13You're not serious.
28:14That's why you out here playing around.
28:16He said the truth.
28:17And he is right, isn't he?
28:18Yeah, he is.
28:19I'm just happy to be back in Memphis and give a decent show,
28:22and I'm glad brother Clifford gave me a fight.
28:25And people don't understand the business when you show your love and respect
28:29when you fight one another because that's how we elevate our lifestyle.
28:32We take care of our fighters, our families.
28:34So we can't say, hey, I'm scared to fight anybody.
28:37And closely, we're both Muslim brothers.
28:39We owe each other to fight each other, to elevate our life.
28:42Mike, were you really sick this week?
28:44What was the problem?
28:46I broke my back.
28:49What do you mean by that?
28:50My back is broken.
28:51A vertebrae or what portion?
28:54Spinal.
28:56You did that in sparring?
28:57No, I did it by a motorcycle accident.
29:00The doctor discovered I was doing my sit-ups 2,500 a day with my 20-pound weight,
29:06and one day I couldn't move anymore.
29:08And I asked the doctor, what's wrong?
29:10And he said, believe it or not, your back is broken slightly.
29:15So are you in pain right now?
29:16Did you take some type of injection?
29:18How did you make it to this fight?
29:20I can't take an injection.
29:21You know you're going to test me.
29:22But all praise be to Allah, I don't know.
29:25I don't know.
29:26I don't even know.
29:27I'm as happy that I'm fighting and I'm punching well and accurate that my trainer,
29:32Freddie Roach, Robert Lewis.
29:36Oh, God, I'm sorry.
29:38Tyrone Boone.
29:39Were you ready for this fight, Mike?
29:40I mean, your trainer advised you four days, Freddie, before the fight not to fight.
29:44Were you ready?
29:45No, but I'm obligated.
29:46And you got to be a man and fight.
29:48I canceled too many fights in my career and I wasn't afraid.
29:52I didn't want anybody to think I was afraid.
29:54And he needed the money.
29:56I'm always in need of money.
29:58And I'm glad that both of us did.
29:59I have so much respect for him as a man.
30:02You know, he's a good man.
30:03I respect him.
30:04And he's a friend of mine.
30:06And I realized when Sugar Ray Robertson and Henji Armstrong fought, and that was Robertson's
30:11hero, Henji Armstrong went up to him and said, if you were my friend and you would
30:15care and remind me, you would fight me.
30:17You know I need money.
30:18And that's how it is.
30:19But fighters, you understand that.
30:20Don't say you don't want to fight.
30:22And when a man says he doesn't want to fight you, that's disrespecting you because
30:25he knows he needs you to make a living.
30:27And you both needed each other in this instance, Mike.
30:30Let's take a look, if we can, here at this fight.
30:32Tell us exactly what happened.
30:34As the slip at the beginning, and then you two embraced and went down.
30:39Boom.
30:40I'm a little rusty.
30:41I'm missing.
30:42I'm not moving my head.
30:43He hit me with, I believe, a slight left hook in my eye.
30:46Is that what caused the cut, Mike?
30:48Is that what caused the cut above your eye?
30:50I believe so.
30:51The left hook.
30:52He hit me, yes.
30:53Oh, he did hit you.
30:54Yes, he did.
30:55Let's take a look now at the slip once again, and then we'll take a look at the knockout.
30:59Here it is.
31:00I'm setting him up.
31:01I'm looking at it.
31:02I think this is when we're pushing, though.
31:05That was when he was hurt.
31:06I pulled him down.
31:07He didn't push me.
31:08I pulled him down.
31:09But he was hurt from that first punch.
31:10Now we go here.
31:11I know he was pushing me, so I just...
31:13Tell us about the right right here, Mike.
31:15Okay, and here's the knockout.
31:16The right.
31:17I'm trying to keep my hands up.
31:18I'm moving.
31:19I'm trying to get to the side and look for the opening.
31:21And I see it.
31:22Here it is.
31:23Boom.
31:24Straight.
31:25Boom.
31:26Just like the one Freddie Roach was working.
31:27You've hit a lot of people, Mike, and I know it may be a little quick to estimate this.
31:31Have you hit anybody harder than that?
31:32Well, I don't know because I didn't feel a punch, so I have to go around and ask everybody
31:36I hit how did that punch feel.
31:38Well, you know because you delivered it.
31:40It was pretty clean.
31:41I'm just glad he didn't hurt his leg.
31:43But I was just very happy with the sharp punch and the acry punch and praise be to Allah,
31:49no one had gotten hurt.
31:50Mike, we have a couple of other things before we talk about Lennox Lewis, but the country's
31:55interested in the tattoo.
31:56Why the tattoo and why so close to the fight?
31:58I'm just...
31:59That's just me who I am.
32:00I don't care about no tattoo and fight.
32:02People fight.
32:03And that just happens.
32:05We do this.
32:06I don't know about no worry and all that stuff.
32:08This is just what I do.
32:09I fight for a living.
32:10I'm in a hurt business and no one should care if I get hurt if I die in the ring.
32:14Because this is what we do.
32:16It's what we do.
32:18That's just people fighting out in the stands.
32:20They didn't get enough of you, I guess, but let's keep you here, Mike.
32:23Lennox Lewis will be next.
32:25It'll be in June.
32:27What do you think will be different this time?
32:30Well, I'll be more confident this time.
32:33And to be honest, I don't believe I'm ready to fight him at this moment.
32:37I'm not going to lie to myself.
32:39I'm not going to lie to the public.
32:40I need more fights and I'm not interested in getting beat up again.
32:44So, what will you do in between now and then to get ready if you're not interested in getting
32:49beaten up again so it doesn't end the same way?
32:52I'll leave here and go right to the gym and a week later continue my exercise and just continue
32:57to go training and hopefully, you know, it's all praise be to God.
33:02I don't know.
33:03I don't even know if I want to fight no more.
33:05If I have to fight Lennox Lewis, my next fight is no way I have to continue fighting.
33:09You don't know if you want to fight Lewis or you don't know if you want to fight after
33:12that?
33:13Well, I don't know.
33:14I don't want to fight Lewis right this moment.
33:16But if I'm capable to get two or three more fights, probably two, I'll fight them right
33:21away.
33:22My only problem with Lewis, you want to understand, if I've never been absent for five years,
33:27Holyfield, all these guys that beat me, they would never have a career.
33:30It was all in God's plan to take care of them.
33:33All I love them, Holyfield may say, Jesus, they love them.
33:37They put their arm around them, put them in their bosom, and they elevate their lives.
33:42But eventually, I'll continue to, yes, training and bring my life together.
33:48I just want to get my shit together.
33:50I'm so messed up, man.
33:51I just need to get my life together, brother.
33:53All right, Mike, we thank you for your time and congratulations on the fight.
33:56Thank you, too, sir.
33:57All right, back here live.
33:59A couple of important things to point out is that Etienne on the way out accidentally hit
34:05a woman in the head as he went out.
34:07It was just an accident as he was coming down here, as you'll see.
34:11And it was just as he was coming out, and then the people thought that he did something
34:16on purpose, and the lady starts yelling back at him.
34:18And, of course, he feels terrible that that happened.
34:20He said, no, I didn't do it on purpose.
34:22And that's what that whole hullabaloo was all about.
34:24The important thing is, Mike says he has a broken back.
34:27He was cut up on the right eyebrow, which you have to question how his eyes would hold up
34:32if he got in another battle with Lennox Lewis.
34:34He said he doesn't want to fight Lennox Lewis.
34:35He said something about he might retire, and he said he's totally messed up.
34:39So with all that said, we don't know any more about Mike Tyson post-interview than we
34:43knew beforehand, but he thought he made it pretty clear when he said that he doesn't
34:47want to fight Lennox Lewis next and that he does want to go back into the gym next week
34:51and get going.
34:52Well, we want to thank all the boys from Paynaway, Johnny Carroll and Russell Cates
34:55and all the lads that helped us out get ready for this fight.
34:57The boys from Brenna Zweichel, Steve Brenner and John Beirutti, and from the Showtime Network,
35:02Mike Theodoro, we appreciate all your help in getting ready for the fight.
35:05Our transmission has been provided by the KC Company and Barbara Sypes.
35:09Ringside security, Pancho Lamont.
35:11Our stage manager has been Melinda Laval, helping with stats as usual, Jody Heaps.
35:16Our producer has been Jason Bidel, our director, Frank Belmont.
35:19And for our executive producer, who is also Frank Belmont and an entire production staff
35:23here at Belmont Productions, I'm the Colonel Bob Sheridan saying goodnight everybody.
35:27So long from Memphis, Tennessee.
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