“I am addicted to cocaine.” The notorious former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson said to police, according to a report filed by the arresting officer who stopped the former boxer and apprehended him for allegedly driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohal or drugs. The arrest was made shortly after Tyson pulled out of a night club parking lot and nearly collided with a police SUV near Scottsdale, Arizona around 2 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 29).
Several small bags of a powdery substance were found in Tyson’s vehicle following a search by police.
During his prime Tyson was considered unbeatable, but his once dominant career was undermined by personal problems, lack of preparation, and periods of imprisonment. After being released from his first prison sentence, Mike made a heavily anticipated comeback but failed to reclaim his previous dominance. Though eventually regaining a title belt, it was the period prior to 1990 when he primarily made his mark as a fighter. The second half of his career was largely overshadowed by controversy.
In 1992, Tyson went on trial in Indiana after being arrested there in 1991 for the rape of Miss Black America Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was convicted on the charge of rape on February 10, 1992, despite bookmakers' 5-to-1 odds that he would be acquitted.
He was given a sentence of six years and was released in May 1995 after serving three years. Under Indiana law, a defendant convicted of a felony must begin serving his prison sentence immediately after the sentence is imposed.
Tyson did not fight again until 1995. After two comeback bouts against Peter McNeeley and Buster Mathis Jr., he regained one belt by easily winning the WBC title from Frank Bruno in March 1996 in three rounds. In September 1996 Tyson won back the WBA title in 93 seconds from Bruce Seldon, having paid Lennox Lewis $4 million to "step aside". Seldon was subjected to much ridicule for his first round loss to Tyson because he seemed to go down and out from a light punch.
Tyson has stayed in the limelight by promoting various websites and companies. In April 2005, he joined a group of strippers on the roof of a strip club in New York to promote skill gaming site FortuneFun.com.com. Tyson has also endorsed online gaming site Casino Fortune. In June 2004, sportswriter Max Kellerman suggested that Tyson should move out of boxing and into product endorsemen, as this had worked well for former boxer George Foreman. In the past Tyson had shunned endorsements, accusing other athletes of putting on a false front to obtain them.
