Russia asks: Hands off from the world’s favorite son.
…Last year famous boxer Mike Tyson has come to Russia. The TV report did not even surprise but astonished everybody. In picture Tyson was having a dove in his hands and even from the TV screen one could see how tenderly was he doing it. It was found out that since his childhood Mike was fond of doves and is a connoisseur of them. Such feeling for a tender fragile bird, as many other things, seemed nothing to do with the created image of the bully-boxer. Òyson moved with such a care, as if he was afraid to disturb somebody. He used to be daintily polite with everybody, really shy when praised for his sportive achievements, if he was asking for something, he begged pardon many times for disturbing and possible inconvenience.
Briefly, he showed himself quite different from the image, which has been created in his homeland. No. He’s not a candy kid, by no means. As a rule, candy kids do not go in for box and, for sure, they don’t become world champions. Just people, who have met Tyson during his trip to Russia, saw a man not old yet, but already sick and tired of life. A man who has encountered so many challenges, what would be enough for the whole city. And he was obviously enjoying the normal human understanding that he had found here. Nobody forced him to eat meat, when he wanted an omelette, nobody civilly noticed when he replaced a glass of vodka for one of mineral water, and when he was spending hours at the dovecote nobody hurried him to Tretyakov Gallery. When leaving Tyson said that he would come to Russia again for sure and his manager Sterling Mcferson started negotiations with Russian party about the organization of the exhibition fight in Krasnodar. The fight was planned for this summer.
But the name of the American boxer Mike Tyson is again in the epicenter of a juicy scandal. On last December 29 the former absolute world champion in super-heavy weight met had a car accident in the American town of Scottsdale, State of Arizona. The expertise carried out after the accident showed narcotic traces in Tyson’s blood, policemen also have found three half loads of cocaine in the star’s car. According to policemen Tyson confessed that he did drugs this day, he was not also denying his dependence on them.
Next day Mike Tyson was released from prison on security and on his own recognizance, anyway, the scandal was developed and notwithstanding all existing legal norms official representatives of American Themis allowed themselves not only to comment on boxer’s behavior, but also to make forecasts about his future punishment. So, for example, the judge, who is just going to determine the degree of the defendant’s guilt, has already stated that he is already decisive and irreconcilable. The judge’s opinion was to “give him a maximum”, what if translated to legal norms corresponds to seven and a half years of prison.
- I am not already surprised with anything, - said Tyson in one of private conversations, when he has left the prison. – All my life I am doing nothing but begging pardon. I was made a demonstrative bad man, I was called one of worst people in the world and, finally, it seems to me, I finished to believe it myself. When I was coming to some tournament, the press dissembled the number of my fights, wins and sportive titles, but preferred to tell readers about my thinkable and unthinkable adventures. And I was apologizing at the drop of a hat. I was begging pardon for pushing somebody, for saying a rude word, for hurting somebody. I only did not apologize for the rape that I had not committed and I will never recognize that I could do such a low gesture. It was a bon marché for my impresarios not to make me just a boxer, but some uncontrolled monster, I understood that it was their business, but I found myself in the unholy tourbillon and already was not able to get out of it.
Sic transit gloria mundi, early people used to say. What a shame. It’s a shame for a man, who gave himself not just to sport, but to the prestige of his country. Today, when pages of many publications makes us nervous with the phrase that this time Tyson will not get off by the compulsory treatment, that means double shame. Drug addiction is an illness, so it requires just treatment. But this is not just the sense. The previous boxer’s life that is the reason of his drug addiction. One sportsman, who used to be famous, cited a rather case study. If you use to strike a TV with your fist several times, then already a couple of months later it will break. But if you crash it with a hammer, then already in a week no whole detail will remain and you’ll have to throw it away. As to Òyson, he consciously left himself wide open for “club hammers” of his heavy weight rivals and every time, when winning, he glorified the very country, which no is eager and careless to through him to the garbage heap of life. He personified American strength and power, sharp impresarios were creating a good image of the hooligan and rebel, warming the boom and forcing up sweepstake rates. Why don’t Americans take their favorite son in his arms and carry him to the clinic in this way. And open the benefit account with the bank, were grateful box fans would be able to send money for Tyson’s treatment. But nothing of the sort! With cold interest they are waiting not new Tyson’s wins in the ring, but the court decision. Rates should already have been determined and the jackpot will be hit by one who will guess not the minute of the triumphal knock-out, but the term of imprisonment as well. And maybe there will be people, which would be able not to fall to general agiotage and to put everything in its place. Having said the only true thing – the unhealthy person should be cured. But not crippled. As that’s a crime by itself – to punish in America the world’s favorite son – the man who’s sportive achievement made the American state flag reign over the planet for decades.
