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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! Add your comments on this week's "What is the Deal?" column at Uncle Hiram's Bulletin Board. August 10, 2003 What is the Deal with Iron Mike? By Jan A. Larson I've often wondered if Mike Tyson just might be the dumbest man in America. After considering the dual facts that Tyson could earn more money for beating someone for 15 minutes than I would earn in my lifetime and that I had not met every man in America, I would ultimately conclude that in the end it was impossible to know. I could not, however, dismiss the idea entirely. Tyson has taken another step toward cementing this elusive title. After earning over $300 million in the ring, he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Tyson's brutish, boorish and just plain bizarre behavior over the years since he became the youngest fighter to hold the heavyweight title was not entirely out of character of those who practice the pugilistic arts. It was never entirely clear if his off-the-wall comments from time to time were those of a man of extremely limited intellect or carefully orchestrated in order to generate publicity for the next multi-million dollar fight. With Tyson, one never knew if he subscribed to the long-standing axiom that all publicity is good publicity. A few Tyson tidbits: "I'm just a dark guy from a den of iniquity. A dark shadowy figure from the bowels of iniquity." "I don't know if I'm mentally sick, but I have ... episodes sometimes." "[He] called me a 'rapist' and a 'recluse.' I'm not a recluse." And my favorite, "I guess I'm gonna fade into Bolivian." The fight game, especially the heavyweight division, is full of shadowy parasites and hangers-on that are more than willing to take their cut of a fighter's winnings. Throw in a few gold diggers and groupies wanting to spend some "quality time" with a free-spending famous athlete and, before you know it, $300 million doesn't go as far as you might think. Of course Tyson could never see the entire $300 million he grossed from his fights. Managers, trainers, promoters, "cut men," etc. are all due a piece of the action for their part in preparing a fighter for those fights that bring in the millions. Uncle Sam gets a piece as well. Tyson, as well known for biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear and for serving time after being convicted of rape, as he is for his exploits in the ring, apparently owes over $300,000 to a limousine service in California, over $170,000 to a Las Vegas jeweler and $78,000 to a New York rug company. Even more serious are his obligations of $4 million to the Inland Revenue Service in the United Kingdom and $13 million to the Internal Revenue Service. His second ex-wife is due $6.5 million from "future earnings." If his financial troubles were not enough, Tyson is also facing charges stemming from a brawl in a New York hotel in June. He apparently can't restrict his fighting to the squared circle. Is Mike Tyson the dumbest man in America? Who knows? The man is obviously no Einstein and seemingly travels through life in a manner reminiscent of the proverbial bull in a china shop. His days of fame and fortune and his "usefulness" to others are coming to an end. When the spotlight fades and the money stops flowing, I wonder what will become of Iron Mike? Unless he mellows in his old age, he looks to be heading down a one-way street that leads to one of two destinations - a prison or an early grave. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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