Hide The Children

Hide The Children

'Boxing fans, hide the children' was the ring announcer's introduction to Mike Tysons' s 12th fight against the 6'6" Eddie Richardson. He put him on the floor with his first punch.

At this point in his career, Tyson was irresistible, pure and true. He'd put down his 10th opponent, Covay, in 37 seconds. His 11th opponent said he'd never been hit as hard. Interviewed after, Tyson was calm, eloquent, polite, respectful - but most of all forensic - capable of analysing in minute detail each feint, each counter, each measuring-up-move that led to the demise of the latest sap. His voice, almost camp, lent each analysis a kind of kindness - indeed, he often comiserated with his opponents, almost sorry he'd given them so little chance.

Interviewers were not greeted with snarling self-aggrandisement - more delight to even be doing what he was doing; pleasure at having entertained the local fans; self-deprecating analysis of his own performance, and always a plea that he hoped his opponent was OK. At this point, Tyson didn't have a national audience in the US, much less an international one.

For his own part, whoever was put in front of him, Tyson would look him straight in the eye, no fear. Part of being a man, he said, was facing and overcoming your problems. It's an almost unbelievably mature thing to say. He must have been about 20 at the time.

How much of a man were you aged 20?

A few fights later, in arguably his best performance, he put down Trevor Berbick, who was at the time beating allcomers. Berbick's confidence was shattered by a right cross which staggered him backwards in an exaggerated, theatrical, moonwalk dance. One of the most confident, competent contenders of the time turned into a puerile, babyish, legless mess in front of my eyes.

This is the man we know and love - forget the monster accusations, the rape allegations, the financial scandals. This is a man at the peak of his beauty and I defy any other man not to want to be him at this point in his life.

I did.