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Tyson: 'Ready to fight' Former champ meets journeyman
Posted: Wednesday June 21, 2000 11:38 PM
Mike Tyson arrived in England four days late to begin training for Saturday night's fight against Lou Savarese in Glasgow, Scotland. In an exclusive interview with CNNSI.com's Nick Charles, Tyson was a man of few words Wednesday. Charles says Tyson was on edge after attending the funeral of a close friend who was shot to death in the Brooklyn neighborhood where Tyson grew up. Charles went one on one with the former heavyweight champion at his London training facility. Nick Charles: Mike, we hear you are in great physical shape, what is your mindset? Mike Tyson: Well, I'm, just ready to fight. I'm hanging in here. I'm just feeling good. I'm just ready to get it going really. Charles: I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. I know that can take a lot out of you. What are you wrestling with based on that situation? Tyson: He was a dear friend of mine who died tragically and I'm still in mourning because I've never had a friend closer. He was my only true friend in the whole world and we came from a world for which our lifestyle is like that. That's what we are. I'm just ready to fight. Charles: How do you fight through that and focus on this (fight)? Tyson: I don't know. We just fight. We just fight hard. Charles The issue, the difficulties and the distractions. Lou Savarese said he's going to try to mentally exploit that with you. What do you expect him to do? Tyson: Well, we'll see. We'll see. Charles: What can we expect from Mike Tyson in this fight? Can you take us through this fight with Savarese? Tyson: I'm just here to fight. I'm just here to fight. Charles: I know fighters don't get ahead of themselves, you are looking at Lennox Lewis. Based on what you've seen from him and based on where you are Mike, how do you see that going? Tyson: I don't know. I'm just here to fight. You know, I don't think about it. It's one step at a time. Charles: Being here in Europe, it's a different situation. Ten years ago you are fighting in the States and you are fighting for titles. The dynamics have changed haven't they? Tyson: I don't know. Charles: But at the same time, the goal is obviosuly the title? Tyson: Yeah, I just want to try and become the best I can possibly be.
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