There was no locker room or changing area for the boxers, Sky Sports source explained. . I told him to give the gloves one more shot this year and, same story different year. Mike Tyson came and cleaned up boxing because of Cus. They broke up and Mike went with King. None of this one day on and one day off crap. Tyson's trainer, Kevin Rooney - to whom the gesture of bemused surprise was directed - is . StopDucking, Feb 1, 2021. People want to see someone get knocked out, lets face it. Hes fighting this guy Willie Grubbs out of Philly. Move your head. Mitch was wearing wrap-around sunglasses, which broke, and it cut him. Kevin Rooney had other run-ins with Green. He was barred from going near Tyson for the next 30 days, according to the LA Times. Here we go. Mike Tyson retires, and even the fights on HBO are few and far between. He was just looking to make money, and he was making money with Tyson. Tickets are priced at $80, $50 and $35. Amanda Serrano vs Katie Taylor rematch in Dublin off as promoters release statement. There are a few clips floating around of Mike training, knocking the pads off Kevin's hand. The Fight Game has gone south as far as Im concerned. During the period when Rooney was Tyson's trainer, Tyson had a professional record of 35 fights, 35 wins (31 wins by KO). So, I guess what Im trying to say is Bill was the brains behind the whole operation. He knew where the money was, lets put it that way. He just hasn't had the luck of finding someone with the combination of drive/body type necessary to become a champion via peek a boo. A No. Can you even imagine what it was like to be in Mike Tysons corner at the beginning of his career? Be exciting. Punch and move. I dont really know how many people are gonna show up. Write by: . BoxingInsider: When do you believe Ali was at his prime and what would your strategy be for Mike vs. Ali? Theyre both smart and theyre both honest people. If I land a shot theyll feel it and that should put them out. 6. Rooney became Tyson's trainer after Atlas left and just before Cus died. Q And youre right in the middle! We got Iran Barkley, former Super Middleweight Champion of the World and then theres another guy I cant remember his name. Rooney had been with Tyson since late 1982, when Tyson was 16 years old and just won the National Junior Olympics (having a 91 amateur record, with all 9 wins inside the distance), oversaw the second half of his amateur career (44 fights), saw the start of his professional career in 1985, followed Tyson throughout his world championship days, until Tyson's bout with Michael Spinks in 1988, when, on the insistence of Don King, Tyson fired Rooney along with all other staff that comprised the Team Tyson from the beginning. He should be 24-0. Right after he died I had a job in one of those correctional facilities in Catskill, Catskill Green Correctional. Im like the guy in the middle. So, Im going down tomorrow. But see, Muhammad was a great, great fighter. Tell Mike I want my money. My record as a pro was 21-4-1, with I dont know, 10 or 12 knockouts. "I heard Kevin Rooney say, 'work with him, he's a kid,'" Blyweiss recounted. Its like tap, tap, dont hurt me. Q Whose idea was it to put something like this on? (Laughs). A Well, on the one hand, you gotta give Don King, I hate to say it, credit for being able to reach out to Mike Tyson, who has lost Jimmy, lost Cus and he wasnt that involved with Bill. So and so is fighting so and so for a title or title elimination, and this is what is hurting the game. Now his main focus has shifted to his son. I fought my whole career as a Welterweight. Q Whose idea was it to put something like this on? Its gonna be like a spontaneous thing. When Mike went with Don King and then went with Shelly Finkel, at that point Mike was suing Don King for $125 million dollars. But I believe that Mike would have come out the better. what the Heavyweight Division doesnt have is a Rocky Marciano, a Joe Frazier, a Muhammad Ali, and a Mike Tyson. He couldnt have been nicer about the whole thing. Tyson has 2 distinct periods: With Rooney as his trainer and in his corner, and without Rooney there. Now people are talking, ah, hes nothing. Its Comedy Central. "Me and Kevin, we thought everyone I fought. In tons of interviews he talks about Teddy Atlas, Cus, the rape alligatons, Robin Givens don king. Were you an ex-boxer? Once Mike married Robin and this is after his fight in Japan, the woman tried to get a hold of all of Mikes money and because of Bill Cayton, he had all the money locked up. Because I could see the frustration in their face. Next question. Talkin' Mike Tyson with Kevin Rooney. (Laughs). Rooney is laughing it off, not paying too much attention. Hes fighting this guy Willie Grubbs out of Philly. Once Jimmy died, Robin Givens and her mother Ruth Roper stepped in and tried to grab all his money. (Laughs). There was a guy who would stay in there and give Mike the work, but then took a beating. Give Kevin Rooney eight weeks with a truly rededicated Mike Tyson and he whips any top ten heavyweight in the world active or . (how to be a great fighter, training, etc) "If you want to be the best you can, then you have to spar every f***ing day. Punch and move. Perhaps most shockingly is that, after Blood and the trainer that attacked him were pulled apart and the blood was wiped away, cooler heads prevailed. With interest and penalties that $4 million was $8.7 million dollars. backlog intangible asset; west metro fire union contract. I would tell him Mike use your jab, dont be trying to hurt the guy, but I guess Mike had that little bit of anger thing in him I guess. He used to run numbers. You got nothing the next day. Sorry, but thats just the breaks. You know, it all comes down to money. Mike is now supposedly doing like an exhibition tour. Then he fought Tony Tubbs in Japan he starched him in two rounds. A federal appeals court Thursday reinstated a $4.4 million award that a jury decided boxer Mike Tyson owes former trainer Kevin Rooney for unjustly . I got another kid whos 7-1. They took $1.9 million on the back-end, so I feel like I kind of got screwed. Next question. "But a trainer for one of the other fighters was getting really upset about this. Q If Mike knew deep in his heart that Bill Cayton was not cheating him, why then did he drop him and go with Don King? Right after he died I had a job in one of those correctional facilities in Catskill, Catskill Green Correctional. Kevin Rooney: None. Mike goes out there and rips, rips body shots. Were gonna have a Big Fight. BoxingInsider: When was Mike at his prime best? A I own a gym. I was working his corner and that was my job. Im like the commentator. BoxingInsider: Is he at his best the greatest fighting machine of the ring you ever saw? But, I believe deep in his heart he knew it wasnt true. He was fighting this kid. Hes going across Europe. You can buy it for $50. I try to teach my kids to be elusive. (Laughs). Jimmy was more street-wise then Bill. I wont hurt you. Ill never forget it. But, they robbed us. And then we'd go to a health club at night. The whole 9 yards. Full-on donkey kong in this office! Im supposed to be the guy thats leading everybody and then Ill take that leadership role. Im just spinning my wheels, but, Im always looking out. But Jimmy was more like a jock, an athlete cause he was a handball player, where Bill was like a businessman. Hes 23-1. (Laughs). He went to trial twice and he beat the Federal government. There was this one time that this kid came in and I dont really remember where he was from. heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson as the 175m-a-year . But Jimmy was like, How you doin? Whats up? He was the first guy to make the most money when he fought Spinks. Then Mike left Bill Clayton and tried to fire Kevin Rooney. Were gonna have a Big Fight. The whole 9 yards. We all go through money. In 1997 Green sued Tyson for $25m over that brawl but was awarded just $45,000. Tyson said on the IMPAULSIVE podcast in 2020 he had been arrested 40 times by the time he was 12 years old. WhoaIm outta here. So, I guess what Im trying to say is Bill was the brains behind the whole operation. THE DAY TYSON KNOCKED HIM OUT COLD ON A STREET CORNER. If you follow what Im sayin, boxing is a hard game and its hard to get a young kid to stick with it is really what it comes down to. Tyson had not abandoned his training yet, although he had already witnessed what being Champ meant. So, I was educated under the absolute best. Thats what the public wants to see. I think it was Philly, but, Im not really sure. At the time, Tyson was without head trainer Kevin Rooney (dismissed following '88 Spinks fight), who was a disciple of Cus D'amato. Cookie Notice Like they did in the old days when Joe Louis did that back in the 30s and 40s. Ill be in my suit lookin like a gentleman and see what happens. Muhammad dominated. Mike punched hard. Ive said this before and Ill say it you, whats wrong right now is that ABC, CBS and NBC dont show any fights anymore. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Cus knew what he was doing. Get rid of everybody. Real quick. He would have had a ton of money. But once Jimmy died and the women started blaming Bill that he was robbing this and robbing thatMike apparently fell for that. He gets in the ring in Cuss old gym, my gym now. I expect him to win and that will get him in the Top 15 in the world and hopefully the Top 10 and then by the end of the year Ill be hoping that Taylor will step up and take a shot at my kid. Q And youre right in the middle! By coincidence, Tysons ex-trainer Kevin Rooney was in attendance as the cornerman for one of the boxers in action that night. He hopped right over the rope and out of the door. He certainly remains forever in Tysons shadow. I finished the job. Youre not gonna stand there and say, hit me again. Kevin Rooney . He chased him through the crowd. let me put it this way, here in Catskill, Ive had a couple of kids, this one kid that was and excellent, excellent athlete. In the first round I was like Whoa! Then we'd go do bed. I just brought him down to Kingston last week to spar with these other kids and he sparred with em and right away he said now. Mike just went through the money. The one loss is like a B.S. He knew his fighter well & could read Tyson's unusually negative pre- fight body language. Rooney allegedly discussed this lifetime agreement with Cus D'Amato before Tyson was even an adult, and conveniently left it out of the written contract that was drafted when Mike turned 18. They broke up and Mike went with King. Alright. Fury and Jake showed respect to each other after their fight and now they could be in store for a rematch . (Laughs). Kevin Rooney was the main person tasked with helping Mike on the pads. Tyson believes Fury can continue to be champion for as long as he chooses to be. Thats one thing. He was a great, great businessman. In the first round I was like Whoa! Amateur boxing career [ edit] Rooney participated in the 1975 New York Golden Gloves Championship. What is this? So, thats that. He was just talking a lot and I really thought he was grabbing for my pockets, so I pulled my pockets out because if he ripped my pants all the money would fall and I wouldnt have a chance to get my money so Id have to fight this cat and then my money is to the wolves. He will make his pro-debut on the undercard of Joe DeGuardias Star Boxing ESPN Friday Night Fights card at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. None. To quash such rumors, Tyson allegedly authorized Jacobs to state that "Kevin Rooney will be Mike Tyson's trainer as long as Mike Tyson is a professional fighter." A copy of a press release to that effect was sent by Jacobs to Rooney. When I had Mike we were in training camp for five weeks. Back then I used to run 3-4 miles with him just to make sure he was doing it. The same opinion has been shared by Butch Lewis and Jerry Izenberg. If Tyson gradually saw a resemblance of his former self once again by reuniting with Kevin Rooney, he could regain his desire to ascend to the top of the heavyweight division. What do you mean? Larry Holmes. (Laughs). Nothis is America! Ive said this before and Ill say it you, whats wrong right now is that ABC, CBS and NBC dont show any fights anymore. He was. Thats a difficult combination to deal with. 2021 IRISH PROSPECT OF THE YEAR BACK IN USA FOR STEP UP ACTION. When he got out of jail, he was fighting for $30 million dollars here, $30 million dollars there. Eventually, it went into the Spinks fight and then for a little bit King was out and then Mike went to Europe with Robin and came back. I believe he was being paid $400 a week. He was like Behind-the-scenes where Jimmy was like an Up-Front man. What did Kevin Rooney say when Mike Tyson got beaten by Buster Douglas? #6. Under Cuss system you can do it in a very, very intelligent way, where youre not getting hurt and the only person getting hurt is the opponent. Nothe great Shelly Finkel made him settle for $14 million dollars where hes paid off in increments of $3 million here, $3 million there, for, I dont know, 2 or 3 years, is how I remember it. He put the ropes down and walked right out the front door. Rooney went on to work with a number fighters over the years, including most notably ring legend and five-time champion, Vinny Pazienza. Theyd just go in and they were gentlemen about it. He was born into it. I run it. So I think that fighter, in my opinion, could have and should have probably beaten anybody that was in his path. A He died about half a year ago. Remember, this was intended to be a comedy sketch for TV presenter Marc Middletons show. But a trainer for one of the other fighters was getting really upset about this. Mitch Green started pushing and shoving Kevin Rooney. He just wiped him out. He had a son Brian who made his own millions, in computers, back in the early 80s or whenever it was. He went to trial twice and he beat the Federal government. When you cant hit somebody, that becomes very frustrating. Because of Tyson, boxing was mainstream so everybody knew the names of the guys that he fought. Punches harder than George Foreman.. That never happened. Tyson Fury had dinner alongside Mike . A I was an ex-professional fighter. The only person that could, take any money out of Mike Tysons accounts was Mike Tyson. The last time I heard hes got some promoter out of Vegas that was gonna take him on a world tour. I fought my whole career as a Welterweight. I had no idea if Marc would become the centre for Mitchs frustrations. He does have early stage dementia caused by boxing. Mike knocked a lot of guys out when he was sparring. In the States, Mitch had a reputation for being a character. (Laughs). He worked his way up from nothing. A drama that ended with Atlas pulling a gun on the younger Tyson in 1982. Unfortunately, Cus D'Amato passed away in 1985 and Kevin Rooney was fired in 1988 (under Don King's influence). Q What does a second do? A He died about half a year ago. Q If Mike knew deep in his heart that Bill Cayton was not cheating him, why then did he drop him and go with Don King? A You gotta be around gyms and see whats goin on. We got Vito Auntefurmo, former Middleweight Champion of the world. He was a great, great businessman. K.C.) So, I was educated under the absolute best. Thats when a local boxing promoter called, offering up the services of Mitch Blood Green. Hes very smart when it comes to numbers. That was funny. Then Mike left Bill Clayton and tried to fire Kevin Rooney. He got $21 million dollars to do that back in the 80s. Other Interests Automotive Comedy Unsolved Mysteries Political Hopefuls State Fair Tyson said he fired Rooney following the trainer's comments about Tyson's ex-wife, Robin Givens, during a television interview. Once I get down there and I got a handle on it then I can see the format if you know what Im saying. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Rooney wins $4.4 million in lawsuit against Tyson [AP]", Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Rooney_(boxer)&oldid=1141853459, BLP articles lacking sources from April 2019, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 04:30. Tyson remembered on his podcast Hotboxin with Mike Tyson: [Green] started talking and saying: What you doing in my hood? Then it was on from there. Cus' death had no impact on Tyson's boxing career (Cus died in 1985, Mike won his first title in 1986) because Rooney was still there to take care of business. Its actually easier to become a second or a trainer to get a license. (Laughs). Cus bled out his brain to himdo this, how to throw upper cuts, how to step to the side, how to move your head, how to rest. Q How did you get to be a trainer? ESPN does their Friday night shows but they do half a year and then they take off. Do you ever speak to him? (Laughs). He owes me. Until 1988, Rooney continued to train Tyson and was paid for each of Tyson's professional fights. For that reason were being guided by the Europeans, their ways and rules. A O.K. Tyson could regain his timing and stamina. Muhammad Ali. He was just looking to make money, and he was making money with Tyson. Where, back in 1976, up in Montreal when Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Heerns and the other little kid who was a 112 pounds, I forgot his name. . He was a member of The Harlem Globetrotters. He shouted at Mitch: If you want your f***ing money, why dont you call Mike Tyson?. It sounded entertaining so we said lets do it. Mike Tyson, the 21-year-old heavyweight champion of the world, sat naked on a metal folding chair, fuming, desperate and angry, choking back tears. It was funny. They couldnt hit him. The women tried to grab all that money and they werent able to do that. Q How did you and Cus know that Mike Tyson had what it takes to become Heavyweight Champion of the world? When he was with me there was no partying. Check this out He gets in the ring in Cuss old gym, my gym now. So, thats that. Hes a thief, and he got away with it. Knocked em out cold. He was the first guy to make the most money when he fought Spinks. and our When Tyson was a teenager, Atlas accused him of making advances on his niece. Check this out. Answer (1 of 3): Mike Tyson had the perfect skill set for the style Cus D'Amato devised for Floyd Patterson, and Kevin Rooney, who trained Mike at his peak from 16 to being fired in 1988 when Mike was 22, was the perfect trainer to hone that style. He settles the case for $14 million dollars over a 3 year period. This is the United States of America. He was a member of The Harlem Rockets. His name is William Papaleo. Mitch Blood Green was quick-witted and hurled back abuse aimed at his absent rival Tyson. But, Bill was an excellent, excellent manager and businessman. But, being boxing maybe these guys will be swinging it out. Mike picked that up right away. Once Mike married Robin and this is after his fight in Japan, the woman tried to get a hold of all of Mikes money and because of Bill Cayton, he had all the money locked up. There was no, well I worked hard, Im gonna go have a few drinks and try to pick up a girl. At one point during the camp in late 1984 to early '85, Blyweiss received the nod to enter the ring with Tyson. We got Iran Barkley, former Super Middleweight Champion of the World and then theres another guy I cant remember his name. Thats the way it is. He was winning the fight and then he got hit and lost the decision. Im working with Joe Smith over here. Im guessin hes gonna make $50,000$100,000. Im gonna knock you out or youre gonna knock me outeither way, thats what the people want to see. Thats a problem. And then we'd go to the gym. . I think Mike would have won. King was a bookmaker. Everything is Pay Per View. Under the tutelage of Cus D'Amato and Kevin Rooney, Mike Tyson became a 22-year-old world champion who was 35-0 with 31 knockouts. Thomas Hays is his name. Tyson said he fired. Im watching it on HBO the next day! A police sergeant said: He [Green] stopped his car in the middle of the street and started yelling - it was completely irrational.. 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