Tyson report: Therapy needed

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1998 | 11:39 a.m.

If there's a common thread through the 41-page psychological profile of Mike Tyson compiled by a team of doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital and released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission today, it's Tyson's need for ongoing therapy.

While the tone of the report is generally favorable toward Tyson, the team of psychiatrists, psychologists and neurologists repeatedly recommend that Tyson continue receiving therapy for his behavioral problems.

The report neither advocated nor opposed the commission's relicensing of Tyson when he appears before it Monday. But it did conclude, "We believe that the risk of such a re-offense is low" in reference to Tyson committing a foul within the boxing ring.

Tyson's boxing license was revoked by the NSAC July 9, 1997, as a result of his being disqualified for twice biting the ears of Evander Holyfield during a heavyweight championship fight 12 days earlier at the MGM Grand Garden.

The NSAC insisted Tyson undergo a battery of tests before it would consider relicensing him. With the commission's five members having received the Massachusetts General report, the relicensing hearing for the former heavyweight champion will take place as scheduled Monday at 9 a.m. at the Clark County Government Center.

"I was very pleasantly surprised," Tyson's lead attorney, Jim Jimmerson, said of the report. "This is a hard-hitting report and it's a favorable report. It shows he's not suffering from any psychological disorders and it deems him to be mentally fit."

Nonetheless, Tyson didn't come through the testing sessions unscathed. On at least two occasions he came across as confrontational to his testers. One, Dr. Thomas Deters, said Tyson "indicated he was angry and apprehensive about having to undergo our evaluation ... and at one point he expressed deep feelings of anger directed at me."

Deters, a psychologist, added that Tyson "indicated he was not very good at reading. I did not push the issue. However ... he became much less engaging in the interview ... and the evaluation process."

Deters goes on to recite Tyson's "apparent history of depression and significant mood fluctuations" and that those "findings are a concern to me. Mr. Tyson exhibited neurobehavioral and emotional difficulties, as well as many strengths. He seems resilient in light of a history of many obstacles. He exhibited intelligence that seemed to be beyond what is reflected in some of his test scores. He seems to have a clear recognition that his behavior in the Holyfield fight was completely inappropriate and he expressed remorse for his behavior."

Deters found that Tyson's "emotional deficits make him susceptible" to unpredictable behavior, although that trait would be manageable "with weekly, if not more frequent, psychotherapy sessions."

Another tester, Dr. David Medoff, concludes that "findings suggest that (Tyson) is angry and irritable, and that he is cautious and even suspicious of others' motives at times." Medoff, however, goes on to say the "testing does not suggest the presence of any major mental illness or personality disorder."

Medoff, like Deters, had an uneasy moment with Tyson.

"He expressed a 'wish' to harm this evaluator because of his humiliation at this evaluation," Medoff wrote in his report to the lead physician, Dr. Ronald Schouten. "However, at no time did this evaluator feel physically threatened or endangered."

Medoff recessed his evaluation until the next day, at which time "Tyson apologized for his verbal statement made the day before."

Tyson told a third tester, Dr. Jeremy Schmahmann, that the testing process made him "feel like I'm in a concentration camp."

Schmahmann concluded "Mr. Tyson (should) continue to engage in counseling with an experienced therapist" due to the fact "stressors in the past combined with the relative weakness in executive control system make it imperative that Mr. Tyson have some outlet other than boxing to vent his frustrations and deal with the psychological issues that have caused him trouble in the past."

The Massachusetts General report was made public as the result of a Nevada Supreme Court decision Monday to deny an emergency stay that would have kept the report confidential.

"This matter does not present significant legal issues deserving of this court's considered review," was the majority opinion signed by justices Miriam Shearing, Cliff Young and Bill Maupin. The latter added that Tyson "failed to show there would be irreparable harm" if the stay was not granted by the court, although fellow justice Charles Springer wrote that "today's majority ruling unfairly and needlessly puts Mr. Tyson in a dilemma: He may choose, to his great personal and financial loss, to withdraw his application; or he may risk the embarrassment that may result from the release of confidential matters."

While arguing for confidentiality on behalf of his client, Jimmerson later accepted the court's ruling and delivered the hospital report to the commission offices at 5 p.m. Monday.

"Mike still had reservations" about releasing the report, Jimmerson said. "But he recognizes this is his final chance to earn the Nevada commission's support."

Jimmerson added that Tyson would answer questions at Monday's hearing regarding an Aug. 31 traffic incident in Maryland that led to two men filing assault charges against Tyson. A hearing on the subject is also scheduled for Monday in Maryland although Jimmerson anticipated it would be postponed.

"Maryland's still an open issue," he said. "It'll be addressed (at the NSAC) hearing."

Cy Ryan contributed to this report.