In an Arizona court, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson plead guilty to drug possession and DUI charges, stemming from an arrest last December.
The 41-year old Tyson was pulled over for driving erratically in Scottsdale, leaving a nightclub. He said that he used cocaine "whenever (he) could get his hands on it," preferring to smoke it in a cigarette with the tobacco pulled out, and that he was also on marijuana and the anti-depressant Zoloft at the time.
Since the arrest, Tyson has reportedly been clean, according to his lawyer. He checked himself into a rehab center for "various addictions."
Right now, Tyson is facing prison time, and the county prosecutors are not willing to cut him any slack. "Mike Tyson is a repeat offender," said prosecutor Andrew Thomas. "I believe only a prison sentence will send the right message and properly protect the public."
Tyson is one of boxing's saddest stories, really. As a fighter he was overrated because of a ferocious offensive attack. In truth, he was a sub-standard defensive fighter with a soft chin and heavy hands. Fighters that could wait him out (Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis) killed him.
The upsetting issue, as a boxing fan, is that Mike Tyson can be a decent and even good human being. Somewhere along the line, he totally lost his way, most notably after the death of Cus D'Amato. Tyson, with the right guidance, could have been one of the all-time greats. To me, he's not. He's one of the all-time couldabeens.
As it is now, we have to face the reality. Mike Tyson is a 41-year old criminal, no matter what good intentions he might have otherwise. Part of me feels bad for him. Part of me thinks that the prosecutors are right.