Mike Tyson has shown a poor sense of finance, romance and retirement over the years.
The former heavyweight champion lost $300 million, a couple of wives and two horrendous performances at the end of his once illustrious boxing career.
And now, he is adding a poor sense of geography to his repertoire.
After he was demolished by Lennox Lewis in a title bout four years ago in Memphis, a battered Tyson muttered that he might just “fade into Bolivian.” Instead, far from Bolivia, he is fading into Youngstown, Ohio. Before that, he faded in fights against Danny Williams in Louisville and Kevin McBride in Washington.
What brings Tyson to Youngstown on Friday is both obvious and sad. He needs the money. And he hopes enough people need to see him in the ring again that they will pay just to be able to tell someone sometime in the future that they once saw Mike Tyson box.
When they say that, they might not want to add that what they saw was a four-round exhibition in something called the Mike Tyson World Tour 2006.
There is no definite schedule beyond Friday’s opening night in Youngstown’s Chevrolet Centre, where the 40-year-old Tyson is slated to take on Corey “T-Rex” Sanders.
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Candidly, Tyson has admitted he is not in great fighting shape and confessed, “I don’t think I’m worthy of the people who come out to see me, but they do.” At least he can’t be accused of false advertising.
But he may find out he has false hopes. Tyson said he anticipates taking the Tour to dozens of venues from the United States to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
No official schedule yet confirms those sites. So far, there has been no mention of Bolivia . . . or oblivion.
Meanwhile, unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr., who dominated popular Arturo Gatti and whipped talented Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, needs a new rival to make his mark. Mayweather has moved up to 147-pound welterweight and won a title.
Carlos Baldomir, who also holds a welterweight title and beat Gatti convincingly, will try to be that new rival when he faces Mayweather Nov. 4 in Las Vegas.
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