BoxRec

I remember reading in Mike Tyson's autobiography UNDISPUTED TRUTH,
where when he said on the first day of Boxing camp in Ohio in getting ready for the fight with Peter McNeeley,
they put him in with an amateur boxer and they were supposed to fight for 5 rounds,
but according to Tyson this fighter hit him so hard and so often that they cut it down to two rounds.
Tyson says he could have been knocked out.
Tyson said he was in trememnous shape coming out of prison but still had "no rhythm".
anyone know who this boxer may have been ?
I think it may have been a light-heavyweight.

DaVarryl Williamson

nick name "touch of sleep" as I recall.

Controversial wrote:DaVarryl Williamson

Is that just a guess ?
Because Mike Tyson said this in his book (page 308)about this unnamed sparring partner ,
"F*Ck,I couldnt believe that this little amateur kid had hurt me so bad"

( Williamson is 6 ft 4").

Caractacus wrote:

Controversial wrote:DaVarryl Williamson

Is that just a guess ?
Because Mike Tyson said this in his book (page 308)about this unnamed sparring partner ,
"F*Ck,I couldnt believe that this little amateur kid had hurt me so bad"

( Williamson is 6 ft 4").

I don't know for a fact but I read it elsewhere. Williamson was quite light considering he was tall, boxing under 200lbs as an amateur so I guess he could be described as "little" in frame. Probably could've made CW as a pro if he tried. Also a late starter to boxing so would've only been fighting as an amateur for two years in 1995 when Tyson fought McNeeley.

Controversial wrote:I don't know for a fact but I read it elsewhere. Williamson was quite light considering he was tall, boxing under 200lbs as an amateur so I guess he could be described as "little" in frame. Probably could've made CW as a pro if he tried. Also a late starter to boxing so would've only been fighting as an amateur for two years in 1995 when Tyson fought McNeeley.

Do you remember where you read that?

Would be very interested in a timeline for how this all lined up.

HZamora wrote:
Do you remember where you read that?

Would be very interested in a timeline for how this all lined up.

I couldn't but after a big of digging I found it on this very site. I have quoted it below so maybe Michael bennt can comment on the source of this knowledge if he is still posting on here.

Michael bennt wrote:

SugahRay Robitussen wrote:In Mike Tyson's new autobiography THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH.
He mention's that early into training at the camp at Orwell Ohio
when he was preparing to fight Peter McNeeley.
He sparred with a young amateur who hurt him with punches.
The punches hurt so much ,Mike Tyson was concerned he would be knocked out.
So he had his trainer stop the scheduled 5 rounds of sparring
after the second round.
Tyson saying"THat's enough for today,we will begin again tomorrow".
However he did not disclose the name of the"Young Amateur"
in his book.
do any of you have any idea who it may have been?

The amateur heavyweight your talking about who give a rusty not long out of jail Tyson a hard time was reigning 1996 golden gloves champion Davarryl touch of sleep Williamson

I don't think it was Williamson. ..

My memory tells me it was Al Evans....but not 100%

evrenb wrote:My memory tells me it was Al Evans....but not 100%

He was the guy who knocked Tyson out as an amateur and was a pro in 1995 so unlikely to be him

Controversial wrote:

evrenb wrote:My memory tells me it was Al Evans....but not 100%

He was the guy who knocked Tyson out as an amateur and was a pro in 1995 so unlikely to be him

My mistake. I didn't read the thread properly..

I ve seen and read a few interviews with DaVarryl Williamson.
but I dont recall him ever saying he ever sparred with Mike Tyson when even talking about his extensive amateur career.
(although he could just be humble and just didnt want to embarress the Champ is a possibility)

you know back in the day (several years ago ) one could go to the free Google newspaper archives and find a whole bunch of newspaper articles
about Mike Tyson training for the Peter McNeeley fight,but not only did they (Google)stop their project of digitizing all the past newspapers in the world,
they also been removing a huge amount that already use to be on their archives.

Mike Tyson's training camp in Orwell Ohio was closed to the media when he began training for the McNeeley fight there.
so the answer probably wouldnt be in a newspaper article.

according to the new strength and coditioning coach Carlos Blackwell ,that was hired.
when Tyson first went to prison (February 1992)
he weighed 284 pounds
and when he was released March 1995 he weighed 225 pounds
and had 24 percent body fat (his normal body fat was 16-19 percent)
when he bagan training on the first day in early May 1995 he was 239 lbs.
for the McNeeley fight he weighed 219 lbs.

Caractacus wrote:I ve seen and read a few interviews with DaVarryl Williamson.
but I dont recall him ever saying he ever sparred with Mike Tyson when even talking about his extensive amateur career.
(although he could just be humble and just didnt want to embarress the Champ is a possibility)

It's not uncommon for sparring partners to sign or agree to not disclose what goes on in training, especially if they want to be hired again.

Caractacus wrote:you know back in the day (several years ago ) one could go to the free Google newspaper archives and find a whole bunch of newspaper articles
about Mike Tyson training for the Peter McNeeley fight,but not only did they (Google)stop their project of digitizing all the past newspapers in the world,
they also been removing a huge amount that already use to be on their archives.

Yeah really annoying, I used that a lot.

Controversial wrote:

Caractacus wrote:you know back in the day (several years ago ) one could go to the free Google newspaper archives and find a whole bunch of newspaper articles
about Mike Tyson training for the Peter McNeeley fight,but not only did they (Google)stop their project of digitizing all the past newspapers in the world,
they also been removing a huge amount that already use to be on their archives.

Yeah really annoying, I used that a lot.

I think they were forced to stop because available to the citizen historians and it may have shed too much light on the past shanaigans years ago on some of
the backgrounds of politicians and others of that ilk who would prefer it remain forgotten.
l

whomever it was ,one would think that Mike Tyson would have wanted to give him some props and name who it was in his book.
( unless they hit him so hard that he dont remember).
Perhaps if this amateur boxer turned pro afterwards he may have wanted to call out Mike Tyson at least several years into their boxing career
just for the $$$ Factor.
This is kind of a mystery.

Caractacus wrote:according to the new strength and coditioning coach Carlos Blackwell ,that was hired.
when Tyson first went to prison (February 1992)
he weighed 284 pounds
and when he was released March 1995 he weighed 225 pounds
and had 24 percent body fat (his normal body fat was 16-19 percent)
when he bagan training on the first day in early May 1995 he was 239 lbs.
for the McNeeley fight he weighed 219 lbs.

Ive heard Tyson say he came out 196 lbs in 1995. No doubt he was a very big boy when he went in

Bricks wrote:

Caractacus wrote:according to the new strength and coditioning coach Carlos Blackwell ,that was hired.
when Tyson first went to prison (February 1992)
he weighed 284 pounds
and when he was released March 1995 he weighed 225 pounds
and had 24 percent body fat (his normal body fat was 16-19 percent)
when he bagan training on the first day in early May 1995 he was 239 lbs.
for the McNeeley fight he weighed 219 lbs.

Ive heard Tyson say he came out 196 lbs in 1995. No doubt he was a very big boy when he went in. No way he was 239lbs on his first day training. he was very slim and cut already leaving prison

Controversial wrote:DaVarryl Williamson

I seem to emember reading that Williamson (as an amateur) was a sparring partner to Chris Byrd,
but I dont think I ever heard that he sparred with Tyson either as an amateur or professional.

Caractacus wrote:

Controversial wrote:DaVarryl Williamson

I seem to emember reading that Williamson (as an amateur) was a sparring partner to Chris Byrd,
but I dont think I ever heard that he sparred with Tyson either as an amateur or professional.

Don't know bud, I was just repeating what I had read before.

any new info regarding this ?
maybe an inter-viewer can ask Mike Tyson himself about this some time in the future.

any new info surface to prove this ?