Tyson's Ex-manager Once Narrated What Allegedly Happened between Mike & Michael Jordan
Mike Tyson’s longtime friend and manager, Rory Holloway, revealed that the boxing legend and basketball great, Michael Jordan, once had a major altercation.
Mike Tyson is an athlete known for being the youngest heavyweight boxing champion of the world at the age of 20 back in 1986. In 1990, he lost the title but continued to fight.
In 1997, he gained further notoriety after biting his competitor Evander Holyfield's ear during their rematch. Through the years, he ended up starring in several films and even had a Broadway show about his life.
TYSON'S EARLY LIFE
Tyson had a rough early life after his father abandoned their family when he was only two years old. His mom, Lorna, raised him and two of his other siblings.
Unfortunately, he ended up as part of a gang and got into trouble with the police. By the age of 13, he had been arrested more than 30 times.
TURNING TO BOXING
Things started to turn around for him after meeting boxing manager Constantine "Cus" D'Amato. He ended up taking Tyson under his wing, and they had a father-and-son relationship.
In 1982, Tyson lost his mother to cancer. The boxer revealed that he never actually saw his mom happy with him, as she knew him as a wild kid. While it didn't affect him professionally, it actually crushed him emotionally and personally.
A WORLD-CLASS BOXER
Soon after, he became the youngest heavyweight champion in the world. His rise to success was steady, and he gained the nickname "Iron Mike" in the sports world.
However, in 1985, his trainer and surrogate father died of pneumonia. Kevin Rooney took over, and Tyson continued to climb up the rankings. While he was still successful, those around him revealed that he never actually fully recovered from the loss of D'Amato.
HIS TROUBLESOME MARRIAGE
In the '80s, Tyson set his sights on actress Robin Givens. Unfortunately, their marriage was filled with allegations of spousal abuse just months after their wedding in 1988.
That same year, Givens and Tyson appeared in an interview with Barbara Walters, where the actress described her marriage as "pure hell." She then announced that she was filing for divorce.
THE DIVORCE AFTERMATH
The boxer countersued for a divorce and an annulment, which began a grueling months-long court process. On February 14, 1989, their separation was finalized.
In Holloway’s 2014 book, titled “Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson,” Holloway wrote about the time he joined Tyson, Jordan, Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, defensive end Richard Dent, and boxing promoter Don King for dinner at a Chicago restaurant.
THE MICHAEL JORDAN SITUATION
The reunion took place soon after Tyson and his wife Robin Givens got divorced in 1989, a time when the boxer struggled greatly to deal with the separation. At the time, Holloway already knew that the dinner could end up triggering the boxing champ.
Worse, there was a rumor about Jordan and Givens being a thing before she married Tyson, so Holloway knew that the friendly reunion could turn into a dangerous situation. When Holloway noticed that Tyson was drinking too much, he told the waitress to water his drinks to avoid anything bad.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was too late, though, as the boxing legend stared at Jordan across the table and taunted him. Holloway said Jordan didn’t want to confront Tyson, and he was quiet and looking for an exit.
Ditka, on the other hand, stepped in and tried to diffuse the situation, but Tyson also had some things to say about him. He wrote:
“'Man, you think somebody scared of you, all that racist [expletive] you been talking?’ He says to Dent, ‘Y’all scared of this damn White man, Richard? He ain’t nobody. You gonna let him talk that way?’”
Yvette Prieto and Michael Jordan at Time Warner Cable Arena on November 1, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina | Source: Getty Images
BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION
While Holloway's account was immortalized in a book, Ditka claims it was overblown. He shared that Jordan would not get into an altercation with anyone because he's "a class guy."
The celebrant himself, Richard Dent, insists that Ditka wasn't at the party, so the whole incident was a lie. The Hall of Famer said that if there was any talking that went on, it was between him and Tyson over a theoretical fight against Evander Holyfield, someone he wouldn't fight until years later.
Whatever the case may be, it wouldn't be the first time that Tyson confronted someone over Givens, as he reportedly had something to say to Donald Trump.
Although they had a friendly history together, the boxer allegedly challenged the former president over his then-wife Givens, asking if there was anything going on between them.
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