Tyson Verdict Sends a Message : Reaction: Some say that his conviction on rape charge shows that athletes are not above the law.

The news of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson’s conviction moved swiftly though the tightly connected boxing world Monday night, eliciting responses that ranged from surprise to sad acceptance.

To some, Tyson’s conviction sent a signal that professional athletes are not immune to the law.

“I guess my feeling is that this shows that nobody is above justice,” said Mills Lane, Nevada District Court judge who has been the referee in more than 50 championship fights.

“It showed early on that nobody is above justice, whether it’s a boxer or lawyer or doctor or anyone else. It’s a human being here, and regardless of his status in life, the wheels of justice are taking their course.”

Tyson, 25, was convicted on one charge of rape and two charges of criminal deviate conduct involving an 18-year-old Miss Black America contestant last July 19 in Indianapolis. A jury of eight men and four women heard closing arguments Monday after 12 days of testimony, and deliberated 9 1/2 hours before reaching a unanimous verdict late Monday night.

Convictions on all three charges carry a maximum sentence of 60 years. However, under Indiana law, Tyson qualifies to receive an eight- to 12-year sentence as a first-time offender with a juvenile record.

Many observers said they believed that Tyson’s fame would protect him.

“Athletes have been crossing over the line for a long time,” said local boxing promoter and manager Dan Goossen. “But honestly, I just can’t believe this could happen to Mike Tyson. The reality is that we have come to believe that he would be found innocent, because he is Mike Tyson. This has to send a message to all athletes.”

Larry Merchant, a television boxing commentator, said Tyson’s decline could have been charted by his increasingly erratic behavior.

“It’s been fairly obvious for a long time that he’s been dysfunctional as far as women are concerned,” Merchant said from his home in Santa Monica. “My take on it is that Tyson is an adult and he’s the one responsible. He was a young man trying to make it in a world he was unfamiliar with. The people who formerly managed him were not 100% successful in taming his wilder instincts. But they tried. They had some moral authority where he was concerned. Don King’s appeal to him was: ‘We’re both these rough tough street guys and we’re taking on the world and can do anything and get away with it.’ He went to Don King because that’s what he wanted. He wanted to not be controlled.”

King has always maintained that he has acted in Tyson’s best interests. He was with Tyson in the Indianapolis courtroom Monday when the verdict was returned. Both Tyson and King left without comment.

Tyson has had several well-publicized transgressions, many involving aggressive behavior toward women. In 1986, he allegedly propositioned a sales clerk and became violent when she rebuffed him. The same night he was asked to leave a movie theater after a similar incident.

The next year he was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after allegedly trying to kiss a female parking attendant.

His marriage to actress Robin Givens was marked by explosive public scenes, including one in which police were called to their home to intervene in a domestic dispute. Givens, in a nationally televised interview, said her life with Tyson was “a living hell.”

In 1988, Tyson was sued by two women who claimed he grabbed them at a nightclub.

Others cited the growing influence of King as the beginning of the downturn in Tyson’s phenomenal career rise. Bill Cayton, Mike Tyson’s former manager who was replaced by King about three years ago, called Tyson’s life a “series of unmitigated disasters” since King has been involved.

“King brainwashed him (Tyson) and poisoned him,” Cayton told Newsday from his home in Larchmont, N.Y. “He never acted in Mike’s best interests; he was always concerned only about himself.

” . . . I feel very sad for Mike. But I’ve been feeling sorry for Mike for three years now. I had expected that he would get a hung jury, or at least I had hoped that some of the jurors would believe him . . . “

Cayton and the late Jim Jacobs were the co-managers who financed Tyson’s early career at the behest of trainer Cus D’Amato. When D’Amato died in the fall of 1985, Cayton and Jacobs took control of his career. Jacobs died in May of 1988, and Cayton was subsequently dislodged less than a year later and replaced by King.

Dan Duva, Evander Holyfield’s promoter, told the Associated Press: “The verdict just means that Mike Tyson’s fans won’t be able to see him fight for a while.”

The felony conviction of a boxer of Tyson’s stature is a blow to boxing, a sport with its share of participants who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. But like every other sport in this country, boxing has to survive in a marketplace that depends on sponsorship money.

“This was not a boxer crime, it was a personal crime,” said Shelly Finkel, manager of current heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.

Although Tyson is expected to be free on appeal, Finkel said that the postponed Tyson-Holyfield bout--originally scheduled for Nov. 8--would not take place.

Said Merchant: “I don’t think it will hurt boxing. Some people would say it’s rid boxing of a cancer. This is a great personal tragedy. For a kid who had the ambition and the sense and the smarts to escape the worst kind of a beginning in his life. He couldn’t escape all of his life and self-destructed.

“That’s a tragedy. It’s a bigger tragedy for the girl. We have to keep that in mind. Keep in mind that whatever his beginnings were, whatever Don King did, Mike Tyson bears the ultimate responsibility.”

Henry Tillman, a heavyweight boxer who beat Tyson in the 1984 Olympic trials and went on to win the gold medal, was in his car when his wife called him to tell him about Tyson.

Tillman has known Tyson since Tyson was 14. At the time, Tyson was just beginning to box while still in juvenile hall for purse snatching.

“It’s hard to put in words, I felt some disbelief first, and then, I guess confused about it. Just confused. I just hope he’s all right, that’s all.”

Tillman spoke to Tyson about five weeks ago and said he was in good spirits. “However long he is in jail, it will be years he can never get back again, just like Muhammad Ali when he got suspended for not going in the service. Ali went beyond greatness, you could never say what he could have accomplished if he would have been out of boxing completely. Same thing with Mike.”

Tillman noted that athletes, because of their wealth and fame, are often targets for opportunists. He said the verdict also sends a message to athletes to be careful about who they socialize with.

“I’m sure Mike will stay strong, but I hope it makes him see that he can’t be the normal guy with people anymore. As much as you want to be just one of the guys, things like this make you think you can’t.

“I’m married, very married. I’m in love with my wife. People know that, so I’m not as vulnerable as Tyson, who is single. But people still try you. I’m not just talking about women or sex, but maybe men or women approaching you on some get-rich quick scheme, using my money.

“I won’t say all women, black or white, set out to do those things, nor that that was the case here, but there are cases where people set out to get money for basically nothing. And it doesn’t just happen with athletes.”

It was two years ago Monday that Tyson lost his heavyweight title when he was knocked out in the 10th round by James (Buster) Douglas at Tokyo.

Times staff writer Rich Tosches contributed to this story.

GUILTY VERDICT: Mike Tyson is found guilty on one count of rape and two counts of criminal deviate conduct by a jury in Indianapolis. A1

MIKE TYSON CHRONOLOGY 1978: Arrested for purse snatching as a 12-year-old in Brooklyn. Sent to Tryon School for Boys. 1982: Expelled from Catskill High School for a series of transgressions. 1986: Feb. 20--Sexually propositions a female sales clerk in an Albany shopping mall and becomes violent and abusive when she rebuffs him. Later the same night, he is ejected from an Albany movie theater following a similar incident. Nov. 22--Knocks out Trevor Berbick in the second round in Las Vegas, winning the WBC heavyweight title to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Dec. 21--Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez are named co-winners of the 1986 WBC Boxer of the Year Award. 1987: March 3--Wins a decision over James (Bonecrusher) Smith in Las Vegas to win the WBA heavyweight title. May 30--Knocks out Pinklon Thomas in the sixth round in Las Vegas to retain his WBA-WBC heavyweight titles. June 21--Parking lot attendant alleges Tyson tried to kiss a female employee and struck the male attendant. Charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and assault with a deadly weapon. Tyson pays $105,000 to settle case out of court. Oct. 16--Knocks out Tyrell Biggs in the seventh round in Atlantic City to retain his world heavyweight title. 1988: Jan. 22--Knocks out Larry Holmes in the fourth round in Atlantic City, to retain his world heavyweight title. Jan. 26--Named 1987 WBC Boxer of the Year. Feb. 7--Marries Robin Givens in Chicago. March 25--Jim Jacobs, Tyson’s co-manager, is buried in Los Angeles. Givens and her mother, Ruth Roper, demand access to Tyson’s money for a down payment on the $4.5 million home in Bernardsville, N.J. June 17--Givens and family go public with tales of beatings by Tyson. June 27--Knocks out Michael Spinks in the first round in Atlantic City, to retain his world heavyweight title. June 28--Sues Bill Cayton, his manager, to break their contract. July 27--Settles the Cayton suit out of court, reducing Cayton’s managerial share from one-third to 20 percent of purses. Aug. 23--Breaks a bone in his right hand in a 4 a.m. street brawl with professional fighter Mitch Green in Harlem. Sept. 4--Knocked unconscious after he drives his BMW into a tree in the driveway of adviser Cus D’Amato’s Catskill home. Sept. 12--Tyson sends tennis player Lori McNeil, an alleged victim of Tyson’s violence, 1,000 roses to wish her luck in the U.S. Open. Sept. 21--Tyson threatens a TV reporter outside his Bernardsville, N.J. home and throws a Walkman at the camera crew. Sept. 30--Givens tells Barbara Walters in a nationally televised interview that Tyson is a manic-depressive and their marriage is a living hell while Tyson sits meekly next to her. Oct. 2--Police are called to the Bernardsville, N.J. home after Tyson hurls furniture out the window and forces Givens and her mother to flee the house. Police dismiss the incident as “a domestic disturbance.” Oct. 7--Givens files for divorce. Oct. 14--Tyson countersues Givens for divorce and annulment. Nov. 16--Givens sues Tyson for $125 million, charging libel because of a New York Post story in which Tyson calls her and her mother, “the slime of the slime.” Nov. 23--Tyson again sues Cayton. Nov. 30--Tyson is sued by a Manhattan furrier for $92,000. The furrier claims Tyson owed him for a Russian sable coat Tyson and Givens bought as a birthday gift for Givens’ mother. Dec. 8--Fires Kevin Rooney, his trainer since he turned pro. Dec. 12--Sandra Miller of Queens, N.Y., sues Tyson for allegedly grabbing her, propositioning her and insulting her at a Manhattan nightclub. Dec. 15--Lori Davis of Bay Shore, N.Y., sues Tyson for allegedly grabbing her buttocks while she was dancing at the same nightclub on the same night as the incident with Miller. 1989: Jan. 11--At a depositon in his lawsuit to oust Cayton as his manager, Tyson makes blatant sexual hand gestures and a sexually explicit statement to a female attorney. Feb. 14--Tyson and Givens are divorced in the Dominican Republic. Feb. 25--Knocks out Frank Bruno in the fifth round in Las Vegas to retain his world heavyweight title. March 27--Givens withdraws her $125 million libel suit against Tyson. April 9--Accused of striking a parking attendant three times with an open hand outside a Los Angeles nightclub after the attendant asked Tyson to move his Mercedes-Benz out of a spot reserved for the club’s owner. The charges are later dropped due to lack of witness cooperation. April 26--Gets a speeding ticket in downtown Albany for driving his 1989 Lamborghini 71 mph in a 30 mph zone while drag racing with a friend. May 5--Gets another speeding ticket in downtown Albany for driving his Lamborghini at an unspecified speed above the 30 mph limit, again while drag racing. June--Divorce from Givens finalized. Fined $300 and sentenced to community service for speeding violations. July 21--Knocks out Carl (The Truth) Williams in the first round in Atlantic City to retain his world heavyweight title. 1990: Feb. 11--Tyson is knocked out by James (Buster) Douglas in the 10th round in Tokyo and loses his world heavyweight title. June 16--Knocks out Henry Tillman in the first round of a non-title fight in Las Vegas. Aug. 17--Phyllis Polaner, former aid to Givens, sues Tyson for sexual assault and harassment. The suit is still pending. Nov. 1--New York City civil jury finds Tyson committed battery in the Sandra Miller case. Miller is awarded just $100 in damages because the jury decides Tyson’s behavior was “not outrageous.” Dec. 8--Knocks out Alex Stewart in the first round of a non-title fight in Atlantic City. 1991: March 18--Knocks out Razor Ruddock in the seventh round of a non-title fight in Las Vegas. March 28--Tyson admits paternity of an 8-month-old girl born to Kimberly Scarborough of Manhattan. June 28--Tyson wins a 12-round decision over Razor Ruddock in a non-title fight in Las Vegas. July 18--Tyson meets Miss Black America contestant at pageant rehearsal. July 19--Tyson and Miss Black America contestant go to the boxer’s hotel room in the early morning hours. July 20--Accused of rape by an 18-year-old contestant in the Miss Black America Pageant in Indianapolis. July 22--Miss Black America contestant files a complaint with police alleging Tyson raped her. Sept. 9--Indicted on rape and three other charges by a special grand jury after a four-week investigation into the charges by the beauty contestant. Sept 11--Booked in Indianapolis on rape and three other charges and released on $30,000 cash bond. Oct. 8--Tyson injures cartilage in left rib cage while training for fight with heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. Oct. 18--Announced postponement of Tyson-Holyfield fight. 1992: Jan. 27--Rape trial begins with jury selection in Marion Superior Court. Feb. 10--Following about 9 1/2 hours of deliberation, Tyson is found guilty on all three charges, carrying a maximum sentence of 60 years.