Tyson may be looking to take on Ruiz

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002 | 10:11 a.m.

Mike Tyson's manager may be attempting to arrange a fight with World Boxing Association heavyweight champ John Ruiz, but there's a formidable stumbling block. Ruiz is promoted by Don King, and any fight involving the reigning champion would fall under King's jurisdiction.

King and Tyson have dueling $100-million lawsuits filed against each other.

"This guy is a monster as far as I'm concerned," Tyson said on the Fox Sports Net program The Best Damn Sports Show, Period. "He doesn't care about anyone.

"With King, the money may be generated but you won't get what you are promised. For $150 million, if you're lucky, I might get $20 million."

Yet Tyson's manager, Shelly Finkel, has talked with King about a Tyson vs. Ruiz fight in November. A lesser option, Tyson vs. Cliff Etienne or Frans Botha, has been discussed with an October target date.

Tyson, 49-4, is coming off a one-sided knockout loss to Lennox Lewis in June.

"He fought well (and) it showed what could happen if you have a great deal of determination, persistence and consistency," Tyson said. "Lennox fought a great fight. Regardless of the situation -- if I was rusty -- once you sign the contract to fight you can't make excuses."

Tyson was KO'd in the eighth round, yet he feels he can rebound and return to the heavyweight throne.

"The passion to fight is still there," he said. "I'm going to come back and be champion.

"You strive to be the best in the world ... and there will always be disappointments. But it's the ones that are always striving to keep focus that wind up prospering."

Tyson went on to say he's a changed man at 36 years old.

"People think I'm a beast because I'm outrageous," he said. "But my life has changed. I'm not angry at anyone."

That said, he added that "my life is nowhere near together" but that he realizes the errors of his ways.

"Probably because I was a young celebrity, I am arrogant," he said. "It is very difficult because at one stage of my life I'm robbing a house, and the next thing I know I'm the heavyweight champion.

"That's a huge culture shock. It's tragic to give a kid at 18 years old $25-30 million with no restrictions. I thought, 'We'll get these cars, we'll get these girls, we'll get this house.' It's a horrific lifestyle."