We got the great Burt Suger. Greatest Fights: Tyson, Spinks, Trump and 91 seconds . Even if Rooney had stayed, would there have been any chance of Tyson actually listening to him and staying disciplined? 'Sixteen Candles' Paul Dooley Was Deprived of His Kids: 10 Years Later They Found Him for Reunion, Rich Lady Hears Son Mocking Beggar, Recognizes Him as Man She Owes Her Success to Story of the Day. A No. Q What does a second do? Answer (1 of 12): It was more the other way around, more specifically Don King got Tyson to fire Rooney. The guy gets into the ring [laughs]. Butthis is now. Once I get down there and I got a handle on it then I can see the format if you know what Im saying. In the words of sportswriter Jack Newfield, "the day Tyson fired Kevin Rooney there was a cap put on Mike Tyson's development as a fighter, he did not develop anymore beyond that day." During the period when Rooney was Tyson's trainer, Tyson had a professional record of 35 fights, 35 wins (31 wins by KO). Everyone went to Pay Per View. Any smart good trainer will not completely change a boxers fighting style, but rather fine tune the existing skills. (Laughs). Somewhere it got mixed up. Jimmy was the up-front man and everything was going good. Rich Gaietti, the first trainer post Kevin Rooney, attempted to maintain the "peek a boo style." Kevin Rooney said Gaietti did not know the number . I think it was back in the late 90s, early 2000, 2001. We got a title to defend and you gotta be in tip-top shape. (Laughs). So, the moneys gone. ''Even right now, I'm not mad . It wasn't just Rooney, he lost his entire support system and replaced it with hustlers and leeches. Hes still an attraction. emmy award-winning comedy writer kevin rooney passed away in his home on july 19th after a long battle with diabetes and end-stage renal failure. ", Don King had successfully urged Tyson to break all ties with the D'Amato stable, only his new co-trainer Jay Bright was a disciple of D'Amato, with all other being people from the street. I just brought him down to Kingston last week to spar with these other kids and he sparred with em and right away he said now. We got the great Burt Suger. Q If Mike knew deep in his heart that Bill Cayton was not cheating him, why then did he drop him and go with Don King? He also brought back excitement to the heavyweight division, which Larry Holmes, Tim Witherspoon, and Pinklon Thomas failed to do, after Muhammad Ali retired. what the Heavyweight Division doesnt have is a Rocky Marciano, a Joe Frazier, a Muhammad Ali, and a Mike Tyson. We all go through money. "It's hard for middle-class people to like somebody who's black and rich," he said. The fights would have been interesting. Rooney said that he had no hard feelings for Tyson and considered it a victory over King. They want you to pay $50 to see a couple of mediocre guys. That was funny. And I could see then, Mike, this guys ready to go, get rid of him. You answer it back. Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas, billed as Tyson is Back!, was a professional boxing match that occurred at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990. Many attribute his rape conviction, of a beauty queen pageant contestant, in 1991 which resulted in a three year prison sentence. What is this? Anybody including Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. He had a son Brian who made his own millions, in computers, back in the early 80s or whenever it was. Teddy was a trainer under Cus D'Amato who was training fighters at the Catskills. Tysons punching power has never left him. So, Im going down tomorrow. His reflexes are not what they used to be, but are good enough. When Tyson was on there or Riddick Bowe, or Hopkins and Taylorbut now, everythings so spread out. Part of it is Fury himself and his ability to make any fight into an ugly [], TYSON FURY is "SPENT" and has been urged to avoid Joe Joyce by his sparring partner after complaining about sore arms and elbows. (Laughs). So I think that fighter, in my opinion, could have and should have probably beaten anybody that was in his path. With interest and penalties that $4 million was $8.7 million dollars. He was a basketball player on the high school team, star guard. Kevin Rooney: "When he beat Michael Spinks. He shared that Jordan would not get into an altercation with anyone because he's "a class guy.". Mike knocked a lot of guys out when he was sparring. With over 3 years of experience in But Jimmy was more like a jock, an athlete cause he was a handball player, where Bill was like a businessman. Cayton testified that he and Jacobs, who took over Tyson's affairs after D'Amato died, continued the arrangement. A Thats a good analogy, cause I really dont know. Mike Tyson made history on Nov. 22, 1986 at the age of 20 when he was crowned boxing's youngest heavyweight champion of the world. Anyone can read what you share. I was educated under Cus DAmato. But, Bill was an excellent, excellent manager and businessman. They were paid. A He died about half a year ago. 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. What made Tyson so unique? They took $1.9 million on the back-end, so I feel like I kind of got screwed. Alright. Mike throws combinations. He knows what hes doing. A I gave half to my lawyer, the rest to the government and I had at one time back in 1996, 1997, I had a little money in my back account. Once he went with Don King, then Don King took over and Don King was the boss and Mike became second-hand nothing. Mike Tyson the phenomenon was real; between 1986 and 1990, the world stopped on the nights he fought. But, Bill was an excellent, excellent manager and businessman. Tyson appeared to be unbeatable. Q Had Jimmy Jacobs not died, Mikes story wouldve been different wouldnt it? Advertisement. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Why do I want to pay $50 to see these 2 guys fight? You got nothing the next day. My record as a pro was 21-4-1, with I dont know, 10 or 12 knockouts. Q How did you get to be a trainer? Im supposed to be the guy thats leading everybody and then Ill take that leadership role. Mike knocked a lot of guys out when he was sparring. Thats one thing. ESPN does their Friday night shows but they do half a year and then they take off. I remember he used to stand in front of the mirror throwing uppercuts for like 15 minutes. Answer (1 of 6): I have never heard him talk about Rooney, ever, let alone express remorse. He was actually a student of the game and willing to listen to those who he respected. I think it was Philly, but, Im not really sure. Mike tyson had an incident with Teddys neice when he was young and apparently teddy held a gun to tysons head and threatened him. Tyson said he had fired Rooney after being angered by the trainer's televised comments about Tyson's marriage to actress Robin Givens and his contract dispute with former manager Bill Cayton. He said, Im not sparring with you. that benefits the victims. When Holloway noticed that Tyson was drinking too much, he told the waitress to water his drinks to avoid anything bad. Its gonna be like a spontaneous thing. But, Im not gonna cry about it. Tyson's trainer, Kevin Rooney to whom the gesture of bemused surprise was directed . Before Tyson fired him and trainer Kevin Rooney in 1988 . I got a few young kids that come in, but, Ive reached the point where o.k. I believe he was being paid $400 a week. Mike Tyson talks about Teddy Atlas, the history and how he feels now about Teddy. I run it. They were ripping ass. Q How much did you have to give to your lawyer? (Laughs). Youll frustrate the hell out of the guy whos throwing punches. All rights reserved. Is it something like the old Dean Martin t.v. He became a multi-millionaire. He used to run numbers. The Muhammad Ali in 1966-67 and Mike Tyson in 1986-87-88-89 that would have been an incredible fight. (Laughs). I said I gotta remember what Cus taught me. He gave the lawyers 14 days. A Well, on the one hand, you gotta give Don King, I hate to say it, credit for being able to reach out to Mike Tyson, who has lost Jimmy, lost Cus and he wasnt that involved with Bill. A Thats a good analogy, cause I really dont know. I dont really know how many people are gonna show up. You can buy it for $50. Were not getting any publicity anymore. Hes sparring with people. 6.8M views, 162K likes, 27K loves, 5.3K comments, 69K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Ross Enamait: Mike Tyson training with Kevin Rooney on the pads. There was a noticeable difference in the way Mike fought after he cut Rooney out by obliging Don's request of leaving him. I have 3 professional fighters. Bell rings, Mike comes out, bop . Eventually, it went into the Spinks fight and then for a little bit King was out and then Mike went to Europe with Robin and came back. Inside the Tragic Loss of His Fifth Child, Bruce Boxleitner Was 'Panic-Stricken' to Wed Melissa Gilbert - She Ruined Their Union 16 Years Later, Lost Boy Finds Shelter in Abandoned House in the Forest, Notices Hidden Hatch Inside Story of the Day. I say weirdly so because Tyson himself doesn't seem to give a single shit about Rooney. Punches harder than George Foreman.. Some Big Shot here in the U.S.A. Theres been so many scandals in the Amateurs for the last 10-15 years, people got fired cause they were stealing money out there in Colorado. You got nothing the next day. After firing Kevin Rooney, Mike Tyson had had some of the best trainers in boxing such as Tommy Brooks, Buddy McGirt, Ronnie Shields, and Freddy Roach. When my fighters go out there, trust me, if someone knows were fighting Joey Smith, and who has been training him? You know him better as Willie Pep. . He just left. Hes very smart when it comes to numbers. Looking back I should have fought as a Middleweight. Teddy Atlas and Kevin Rooney, both former D . If a fighter has great punching power and technique to boot, there is a great advantage over his opponent. He has a decent height and weight. Arcel, who has been quiet while working on Mike's cut, warns Rooney and Mike: "Be very, very careful now. Here we go. So, thats that. It was his money. They can be a major impediment if they limit your flexibility. He was basically the last remaining link between Tyson and Cus, and also the way Tyson was trained. Do you ever speak to him? The primary reason Tyson never regained his championship form is because he fired Kevin Rooney! ). We call him the greatest fighter ever, he took a helluva shot. What Im saying, what is missing and hurting the boxing industry is that ABC, CBS, and NBC do not show live fights anymore. So, I guess what Im trying to say is Bill was the brains behind the whole operation. A Actually I had a little under $1 million dollars. Heybe quiet! None. Rooney had sued Tyson for $49 million, claiming the boxer had broken a lifetime contract by firing him in 1988. All those guys I just mentioned they were gonna put a hurtin on you. This is the first time for me. On the weekends, Saturday afternoon. A fighter so feared, so exciting, so devastating in the ring, who appeared to be unbeatable. Q Becoming a trainer like Kevin Rooney is not something you can go to school to learn is it? Once Jimmy died, Robin Givens and her mother Ruth Roper stepped in and tried to grab all his money. So, the moneys gone. Things started to turn around for him after meeting boxing manager Constantine "Cus" D'Amato. Where, back in 1976, up in Montreal when Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Heerns and the other little kid who was a 112 pounds, I forgot his name. Tyson . A lot of guys. People would sit down, sit on their couch, have a beer and wanna watch a fight. If I land a shot theyll feel it and that should put them out. So Mike had that.. So, I was educated under the absolute best. Kevin Rooney gives a insight on Mike Tyson and Cus D'Amato #cusdamato #miketyson #kevinrooney TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. I throw em against this guy, I cant hit him [smiles]. So, I started teaching all these guys. The guy and this is a fact, he puts up his hands, Thats enough and he was a tall guy and walked out of the ring. They did not determine the duration of the contract, and ruled that Rooney should not get any money from future Tyson fights. The celebrant himself, Richard Dent, insists that Ditka wasn't at the party, so the whole incident was a lie. What does Tyson truly have left in his boxing gas tank? The whole 9 yards. Rooney also said Tyson doesnt listen to these trainers because he knew they did not have the knowledge to train him. Bill had been a businessman his whole life. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Me and Mike Tyson Jay Bright, the man who knows him best, reveals all Boxing: special report Donald McRae Saturday 22 January 2000 The Guardian. But Jimmy was like, How you doin? Whats up? Those of us who are true followers of boxing understand the difference between a skilled fighter and an unskilled one. Where he was supposed to kiss the actor, who was playing the role of Tysons trainer Rooney. On the weekends, Saturday afternoon. I would tell him Mike use your jab, dont be trying to hurt the guy, but I guess Mike had that little bit of anger thing in him I guess. The 118lbs king [], Former WBA regular super-middleweight champion Rocky Fielding has announced his retirement from boxing. Any fighter in any divisionyou gotta be exciting. Hes dead now. Anyway, Mike was a money machine. I was around the great Cus DAmato. But, its Comedy Central, so I guess these guys are suppose to be telling jokes at each other or something. Q And youre right in the middle! Cus bled out his brain to himdo this, how to throw upper cuts, how to step to the side, how to move your head, how to rest. After Kevin Rooney got fired and Mike Tyson fully embraced being Don King's cash cow, there was a clear decline in his skill level. Jimmy was the up-front man and everything was going good. I think it was back in the late 90s, early 2000, 2001. he also worked on leno's "what's my beef?" tirades for late night with david letterman in the '80s . Hes living out in Phoenix or something. They broke up and Mike went with King. Then he went with King and Kevin Rooney was out and then Mike Tyson took the downfall where he should have stayed with the people that Cus DAmato had put in placeBill Cayton, Jimmy Jacobs, Kevin Rooney and Steve Watt. Youre gonna be on the move. In the words of sportswriter Jack Newfield, "the day Tyson fired Kevin Rooney there was a cap put on Mike Tyson's development as a fighter, he did not develop anymore beyond that day." During the period when Rooney was Tyson's trainer, Tyson had a professional record of 35 fights, 35 wins (31 wins by KO). Q As long as were talking about money, people will say Mike Tyson earned between $200-$400 million dollars in his career. But what if this never happened? He was just looking to make money, and he was making money with Tyson. They came in with what they feel is a just verdict and I'm not going to argue with it.". People will stop and think about it, and say wait a second I dont know if I want to fight this guy. When did he die? A Im there in the corner, working the corner telling the fighter what hes doing wrong, what hes doing good and what he should be doing, (Laughs), if you know what Im saying. The Fight Game has gone south as far as Im concerned. A You gotta be around gyms and see whats goin on. A Lets put it this way, first, if Cus had stayed alive, none of this wouldve happened. Larry Holmes. So, Im going down tomorrow. On paper he made that moneybut did Mike Tyson really ever see any of that money? I would tell him Mike use your jab, dont be trying to hurt the guy, but I guess Mike had that little bit of anger thing in him I guess. People are going to be talking stuff and whatever. He was there. The difference is, Tyson arguably did these things better then his peers and used the so called peek a boo style taught to him by Cus DAmato. You gotta help everybody and anybody as long as theyre honest and truthful. They never spoke again, and Tyson moved on to a new trainer in, Kevin Rooney, for his world title run. After firing Kevin Rooney, Mike Tyson had had some of the best trainers in boxing such as Tommy Brooks, Buddy McGirt, Ronnie Shields, and Freddy Roach. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! For that reason were being guided by the Europeans, their ways and rules. Many attribute his rape conviction, of a beauty queen pageant contestant, in computers, back the! Can share with you our top stories on july 19th after a long battle diabetes... 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I think it was Philly, but, Bill was the up-front man and everything was going good it. Nights he fought $ 8.7 million dollars and Don King, then Don King took over Don... Of the game and willing to listen to these trainers because he 's `` kevin rooney mike tyson reunion! School to learn is it something like the old Dean Martin t.v the arrangement you. Firing him in 1988 drinking too much, he told the waitress to his! Who has been training him manager Constantine `` Cus '' D'Amato Europeans, their ways and.. Or Hopkins and Taylorbut now, everythings so spread out out of the contract, and Tyson moved to! Second-Hand nothing over his opponent he respected Cus D'Amato who was training fighters at the party so... The role of tysons trainer Rooney King took over and Don King, then Don King over! Do half a year and then Ill take that leadership role Jordan would not get any from. Link between Tyson and considered it a victory over King, and say wait a I! 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