Tyson’s Image Takes Another Beating in TV Special Tonight

The title of the NBC special that will be on tonight at 9, “Fallen Champ: the Untold Story of Mike Tyson,” is a misnomer.

The Tyson story has been told, and retold, many times.

The difference is, it has never been told quite like this--in depth over two hours on prime-time network television.

If you watch this “reality film,” as it is being called, you will learn things you didn’t know before about Tyson, particularly things that happened during his formative years, and about the rape case that put him in prison.

Don’t expect this film to make you feel good. Just the opposite. You won’t like what you see. You won’t like Tyson.

Don King would not permit the filmmakers to interview Tyson, and that was a mistake. An interview might have softened the blow. The old Tyson interviews in the film are not very flattering.

Right at the start, there is a clip of Tyson talking about the “action and excitement” of stealing wallets from little old ladies right after they have cashed their paychecks.

Later in the film is this quote from a former girlfriend, Maribel Ruiz: “There was a point behind closed doors Mike did get rough. It was clear that’s what he liked.”

But maybe the most damaging comments come from two friends of Tyson--Ken Simmons, his former bodyguard, and Rudy Gonzalez, his former chauffeur--who unwittingly bury Tyson.

“Girls want their butts grabbed, all right,” Simmons says.

Says Gonzalez: “Some women enjoy rough sex. It’s not what you do, it’s who you do it with.”

Also from Gonzalez: “When you have women handing you their underwear to give to your boss, you kind of gather what they wanted to do.”

Gonzalez says he was with Tyson when he first heard the news that Desiree Washington had charged him with rape.

“He never got angry at it,” Gonzalez says. “He was upset because he felt the reason she was doing this was because he wouldn’t walk her to the limousine.

“He said, ‘I should have got off my . . . and walked her down to the limousine and maybe she would never have done this.’ ”

The filmmakers, Oscar-winning writer-director Barbara Kopple and executive producer Diane Sokolow, say they went into the project with no preconceived ideas or agendas.

They did the film essentially because it was a good story.

They began the project a year ago, a few days before Sokolow’s husband and partner, Mel, died of cancer. They finished it in November.

The main reason it is being shown now is the February ratings sweeps period. It is only a coincidence that Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of Tyson’s conviction, and that on Monday arguments for an appeal will be heard in Indianapolis.

According to ESPN’s Charley Steiner, who did a five-minute report for “SportsCenter” this week, a decision on the appeal won’t be made for four to eight weeks. If it is denied, as expected, Tyson is due to get out of prison in March, 1995, when he will be 28.

Teddy Atlas, who, as an associate of the late Cus D’Amato, trained Tyson from the time he was 12 until he was 17, has a prominent role in the film.

There is one particularly poignant scene showing Atlas and Tyson when Tyson was 15 and about to fight for the Junior Olympic heavyweight championship in Denver.

Outside the arena, Tyson is so nervous he breaks down and cries as Atlas comforts him.

Asked at a news conference about public reaction to this film--would it prompt sympathy for Tyson or outrage?--Atlas said: “In my opinion--actually I told Barbara--I think she in some ways was probably too kind to him early.

“There were certain things that could have been documented that would have made him uglier instead of just showing him as a kid that was very sensitive and very impressionable, which he was.

“But he also did some ugly things early. I mean, he used to ask people, old ladies, if he could help them with their groceries to the elevator. And then he would knock their teeth out and take their money.”

Atlas and D’Amato parted company after several disagreements over how to discipline Tyson.

In the film, Atlas talks about banning Tyson from the gym after he threatened a teacher, an action D’Amato overrode. Another time, Atlas banned Tyson from a tournament. D’Amato overrode that decision, too.

Atlas says D’Amato had his own agenda--the making of a heavyweight champion--and wanted nothing to deter from that.

In the film, Peter Heller, Tyson’s biographer, tells a story about Atlas’ reaction after Tyson propositioned an underage girl, a friend of Atlas.

“Teddy took him over to the gym one night and he put a gun to Mike Tyson’s head and he threatened to blow Mike’s brains out unless he changed his ways and his behavior toward people in general and girls in particular,” Heller says.

“Then Cus D’Amato got rid of Teddy Atlas.”

Said Atlas at the news conference: “That’s legend. I’ve never confirmed or denied what happened.”

Among the people in the film is Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, who, during footage shot by Kopple at a Tyson rally in Indianapolis, says in mocking tones of Desiree Washington: “She said, ‘No, Mike, no.’ ”

Farrakhan, screaming for effect, adds: “How many times, sisters, have you said no and you meant yes all the time? I’m talking to women right now. The day of BS is all over. The damn deceitful games that you play.”

A more rational speaking Rev. Calvin Butts, in a clip from the “Today” show, says: “Michael Tyson is not a hero. He does not represent the best tradition of our community.

“Desiree, a Sunday school teacher, is more of a heroine.”

Joan Morgan, a newspaper reporter, says: “I watched 50 Baptist ministers get together in Indianapolis and throw this vigil for Mike Tyson. Not one prayer was said for Desiree Washington.”

Donald Washington, Desiree’s father, breaks down as he talks about what has become of his daughter. He said she now works at a Kmart and has to use her middle name on her name tag so people won’t know who she is. She has also cut her hair.

“I want my little girl back,” Washington says. “I just love her, and I’m not getting her back. She will try to come back to me, but I don’t think I’ll ever have the little girl I sent out to Indiana back.”

TV-Radio Notes

The Southern California Sports Broadcasters Assn. held its second annual awards luncheon at Lakeside Golf Club Thursday. The winners were Vin Scully, best radio play-by-play; Jack Snow, radio commentator; Chick Hearn, television play-by-play; Bill Walton, television commentator; Jim Healy, radio anchor; Stu Nahan and Ed Arnold, television anchors, and Ross Porter, radio talk-show host. Scully, Hearn, Nahan and Porter are repeat winners.

Walton delivered the most eloquent acceptance speech, saying, “I used to come to the luncheons as a player, and I couldn’t even speak. I couldn’t even stand up to say thank you for an award. Learning to speak was my greatest accomplishment in life. Now you can’t get me away from the podium. This award means so much to me because it is the first I have won for something other than throwing outlet passes.” Walton also delivered a special thanks to Hearn, who was not at the otherwise well-attended luncheon. “Listening to Chick as a kid is the main reason I fell in love with basketball,” Walton said.

The NHL All-Star game on NBC last Saturday got a national Nielsen rating of 2.4. Bowling on ABC got a 4.1. . . . Stock car racing’s showcase event, the Daytona 500, will be televised by CBS Sunday at 9 a.m. The award-winning team of producer Bob Stenner and director Bob Fishman make this one of the best televised events of the year from a technical standpoint. Cars carrying race-cams this year will be those driven by defending champion Davey Allison, 1991 winner Ernie Irvan, 1989 winner Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, and Rick Wilson, who is driving Richard Petty’s entry.

HBO had a bad fight last Saturday--Riddick Bowe’s one-round knockout of Michael Dokes--but should more than make up for it this Saturday. The Iran Barkley-James Toney fight at Caesars Palace figures to be a dandy. HBO’s coverage begins at 7 p.m. . . . With Jim Lampley calling the fight for HBO, Charlie Jones, a loyal trooper, has been called back to work the Bob Hope Classic for NBC.

Attention golf fans, and golf widows: Arnold Palmer announced this week in La Quinta the formation of the Golf Channel, which is scheduled to begin televising round-the-clock golf programming sometime early next year. . . . What’s next for pay-per-view? Well, it was announced this week that on March 12, motorcycle daredevils Robbie Knievel and Eddie Kidd will square off at Panama City Beach, Fla., in an event that will cost $19.95. . . . It is no great surprise that the Dodgers have decided for forgo a cable television package this season. The team is playing it conservatively, which probably isn’t a bad idea, considering last season’s 99 defeats.