Tyson could face legal action

Promoter Frank Warren says he may take legal action against Mike Tyson after the boxer admitted to being high on drugs during some of his major fights and to deceiving drug testers by using a fake penis.

 

Tyson confessed in his autobiography, published in the United States on Tuesday, that he spent a significant stretch of his career addicted to cocaine and marijuana and used his ‘whizzer’, a fake penis filled with someone else’s urine to evade detection.

 

He admitted his $200,000 fine for testing positive for marijuana following his 2000 fight against Andrew Golota in Detroit had been down to him not being able to claim the ‘whizzer’ from a member of his team before the drugs test.

 

The former world heavyweight boxing champion confessed to have taken “pot” and “blow” before fighting fellow American Lou Saverese in Glasgow during June 2000, a fight promoted by Warren.

 

Warren, who also promoted Tyson’s fight with Julius Francis in Manchester during January 2000, told Telegraph Sport on Wednesday: "I haven't seen the book yet, but once I get a copy of it, our solicitors are looking at that, and other things in the book. We will wait and see, but it is obviously very concerning, and if it is the case we'll be putting that to our lawyers."

 

Warren's solicitors may explore the possibility that Tyson was in breach of his contract for the Saverese and Francis fights.

 

Warren and Tyson publicly disagreed over a £426,367 plus interest jewellery writ served to the boxer's representatives during his January 2000 visit to Britain. Tyson was said to be unhappy at being forced to accept the writ by lawyers for Graff Diamonds, whilst Warren was adamant the bill was not his.

 

Tyson’s memoir, published in the UK on November 21, also details the 47-year-old’s international womanising at the height of his turbulent career, which saw him father eight children with a string of different women.

 

- The Telegraph