By Keith Idec
Mike Tyson has uttered countless crude and outlandish statements on talk shows throughout his fascinating transformation from faded former heavyweight champion to entertainer.
Tyson entered new territory even for him during an interview with Jim Rome on Rome’s Showtime sports talk show Wednesday night, though. Here was an exchange between Rome and Tyson that was part of Rome’s weekly “Ten Questions” segment:
Rome: Number nine. Mike, you’ve talked about this. This story has been out there, but I want to ask you one thing. During your divorce from Robin Givens — I know, different time, different life — but you once went to her house for a rendezvous, you pulled into the driveway and there was Brad Pitt. My point is, you could’ve ended one of the greatest Hollywood careers before it even started. No “Fight Club,” no “Seven,” no nothing. How did you keep from breaking Brad Pitt’s face?
Tyson: Hey, no goddamn “Legends of the Fall.” If that didn’t come out, God, we really would’ve been lost in movieland history. Now what were you saying again?
Rome: Exactly. I’m glad you pointed that out. What I’m saying is, how did you keep from breaking his face?
Tyson: Well, Robin promised me after she was finished with him, I can come back later.
Rome: Oh, no. Oh, oh, oh, oh, no. Come on now, that’s not how that went.
Tyson: No, she said, ‘Mike, come back later.’ No, she said, ‘Come back later.’ My right hand to God, ‘Come back later. I’ll be home later. Come back later.’ I’m serious, ‘Come back later.’ I wasn’t interested in doing that. I wasn’t interested in breaking his face. I was trying to get laid one last time before I got divorced.
The 46-year-old Tyson appeared on Rome’s show to promote the upcoming tour for his one-man show, “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth,” a Broadway hit earlier this year that was directed by Spike Lee.
The success of the show in Las Vegas and New York spawned a 10-week, 36-city national tour that’ll begin Feb. 12-13 at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, the same city where Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington in July 1991.
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
