Tyson Comes Out Swinging

Hide the women and children. Mike Tyson has arrived.

Sauntering into a news conference at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills nearly three hours late Thursday afternoon, Tyson, the former heavyweight champion, arrived with a smile on his face and venom in his heart.

He was supposed to be there to hype his Oct. 20 pay-per-view match against Andrew Golota in Detroit. But before he had finished, Tyson also managed to attack society in general, Caucasians in particular, and threatened to put a bullet into heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Just another out-of-control day in Tyson’s life on the edge of sanity.

Among the low points, with the never-ending profanity edited out:

* On his appeal as a fighter: “Nine million people watch me and they probably all hate me. And they are probably all white. That’s OK. I hate them too.”

* On his use of an antidepressant: “I am on that Zoloft thing to keep me from killing. . . . I am an animal. And they only want me to be an animal in the ring.”

* On how he sees himself: “I’m a convicted rapist. I’m a hell-raiser. I’m a father. I’m a semi-good husband.

“I never had nothing. I was born poor. I’m just here to be me and raise hell. It may get me killed someday, but I can’t help it. There’s nothing I can do about who I am.”

* On whether he regrets his statement after his last fight that he wants to eat Lewis’ children: “No, because he doesn’t have children. . . . If [Lewis] tries to intimidate me, I will plant a bullet in his skull.”

* On his life: “I’ve been through humiliation, degradation and any other i-o-n you can name.”

* On his relationship with the media: “You don’t have the merit to judge me. You don’t have the ability to judge me. You don’t know my pain and sweat.

“I’m 34, I’m ghettoed and, all these years, I didn’t realize the media was mad at me because I’m being paid, not because I’m a black man. And you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to keep getting paid.”

* On his legacy: “Make sure your kids and grandkids know about me so that they can say, ‘Wow, was that a bizarre individual.’ ”

Since his two fights against Evander Holyfield in 1996 and ‘97, the second ending with the infamous biting of Holyfield’s ears, Tyson has spent more time dealing with his behavior than with his career. He lost his boxing license for more than a year and spent time in jail for assault.

But even when he did return to the ring, the man who was once the master of intimidation shied away from the top contenders as if he himself was intimidated.

No more, Tyson insists.

He says his fight against Golota, a class above the opponents he has recently faced, is the start of a genuine move to get back to the top.

“I want to try to fight the best,” Tyson said. “If I lose, I lose. I want to see how I match up with them. They are great. I’m not eloquent, so I will just say, bring it on.”

If he beats Golota--and knowing Tyson, there is no guarantee the fight will even happen--there are plans to fight either Lewis, should he beat David Tua on Nov. 11, or to sign for a third fight against Holyfield.

By the time Tyson arrived Thursday, after having missed his first flight from Phoenix, Golota had met with the media and left, tired of waiting for his opponent.

No matter. Tyson was entertaining enough for both of them.

In recent public appearances, Tyson has appeared morose. But Thursday, even while spewing his anger and frustration, Tyson was as animated as he has ever been, leaping up on a table and stripping off his shirt to display his physique, hugging and kissing those on the podium and even taking a call on a cellular phone while facing the media.

Asked if his joyous mood had been caused by drugs, Tyson replied, “I’m jacked up.”

He is right about one thing. You can tell your kids and grandkids that he was truly bizarre.

*

NOT WHAT HE ORDERED

Fight doctor Karns gets probation for altering blood tests before two 1997 bouts. B1