A guy that punches fast and hard, you got a guy that punches hard, well youre a tough guy all right, well, so what? In 1997 Green sued Tyson for $25m over that brawl but was awarded just $45,000. Do you ever speak to him? He was a basketball player on the high school team, star guard. James Broad was a tough guy. Wing body shots and the uppercuts. Youre gonna do this and youre gonna wanna do that. Im supposed to be the guy thats leading everybody and then Ill take that leadership role. Rooney went on to work with a number fighters over the years, including most notably ring legend and five-time champion, Vinny Pazienza. Tyson was getting the money once in awhile from Shelly. That's why we haven't heard from him in so long. The Fight Game has gone south as far as Im concerned. At the time Tyson was 11-0 as a pro. Kevin Rooney: 1966, 67, 68, in that time frame. I fought my whole career as a Welterweight. Lets just go back to the basics. (Laughs). Punch and move. When Tyson was on there or Riddick Bowe, or Hopkins and Taylorbut now, everythings so spread out. A Im there in the corner, working the corner telling the fighter what hes doing wrong, what hes doing good and what he should be doing, (Laughs), if you know what Im saying. We had to bring sparring partners in from Philly, New York. A O.K. Hows it going? When he got out of jail, he was fighting for $30 million dollars here, $30 million dollars there. But, I sued and I won my lawsuit against him. Mike knocked a lot of guys out when he was sparring. But there is another ruckus that somehow hasnt escaped the secrecy of the few people who saw, until now. on the weekend. But once Jimmy died and the women started blaming Bill that he was robbing this and robbing thatMike apparently fell for that. Heybe quiet! Kevin Rooney may refer to: Kevin Rooney (comedian) Kevin Rooney (boxer) Kevin Rooney (ice hockey) Kevin J. Rooney, American politician. Cut him off. "Part of him. He was like Behind-the-scenes where Jimmy was like an Up-Front man. Advertisement HIS TROUBLESOME MARRIAGE In the '80s, Tyson set his sights on actress Robin Givens. He was basically the last remaining link between Tyson and Cus, and also the way Tyson was trained. I run it. There was a guy who would stay in there and give Mike the work, but then took a beating. Hes dead now. I was working his corner and that was my job. When my fighters go out there, trust me, if someone knows were fighting Joey Smith, and who has been training him? In the first round I was like Whoa! Q That would be a big reason why it would never happen. And what does Shelly Finkel do? His job now has him working full-time in it, but this Friday night, Kevin Rooney Jr will experience a whole new side of professional boxing that he hasnt before. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . So that Mike Tyson, if he didnt cross channels and went with Don King, he would have gone down as the greatest heavyweight in history. Im sore. My record as a pro was 21-4-1, with I dont know, 10 or 12 knockouts. None. Was he referring to the balding guy who once trained Mike Tyson, guiding him to a heavyweight championship in 1986? Thats a problem. When Tyson was a teenager, Atlas accused him of making advances on his niece. (Laughs). When I throw these punches against Tom Dick I hit him. Then I had Tyson. To tell you the truth, I really dont know. A He died about half a year ago. So, I was educated under the absolute best. Larry Holmes. Whoa! Tyson Fury had dinner alongside Mike . This is the United States of America. He was fighting this kid. He wasnt out and out robbin him. He became a multi-millionaire. Hes still an attraction. With interest and penalties that $4 million was $8.7 million dollars. He owes me. Q How did you and Cus know that Mike Tyson had what it takes to become Heavyweight Champion of the world? Mitch Blood Green was quick-witted and hurled back abuse aimed at his absent rival Tyson. You answer it back. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I was around the great Cus DAmato. He is 5-0 as a pro and had almost 100 amateur fights. Punch and move. I was around the great Cus DAmato. Then he fought Tony Tubbs in Japan he starched him in two rounds. No imagining on Kevin Rooneys part. It wasnt long after his fight with Tyson. The whole 9 yards. Hes fighting guys for like 3 or 4 rounds. He would have had a ton of money. You answer it back. What do you mean? (Laughs). Punches harder than George Foreman.. Mitch felt like he didnt get paid from his fight with Tyson. When did he die? I had no regrets. A Lets put it this way, first, if Cus had stayed alive, none of this wouldve happened. Burlington, VT's Kevin Cobbs (1-0, 1 KO) scored the first knockout of his professional career in his very first pro fight. A lot of guys. Q How much did you have to give to your lawyer? Thats how it is. Q Becoming a trainer like Kevin Rooney is not something you can go to school to learn is it? He just wiped him out. Back then I used to run 3-4 miles with him just to make sure he was doing it. He made that deal with Tyson when he had a $100 million dollar lawsuit and guess what? Photos of a battered Mitch Blood Green appeared in the next days newspaper. Here we go. You got money one day. (Laughs). And then the logical fan says wait a minute! (Laughs). He was the first guy to make the most money when he fought Spinks. UNTOLD STORY REVEALS BIZARRE CONSEQUENCE OF TYSON FEUD. We got the great Burt Suger. Tyson has 2 distinct periods: With Rooney as his trainer and in his corner, and without Rooney there. My agent that I had for 2 years, its the first gig hes gotten me. MIKE TYSON'S FORMER TRAINER KEVIN ROONEY TALKS ABOUT SON TURNING PRO He was born into it. Kevin Rooney Interview Mike Tyson's Ex-Trainer - FamousInterview.com Sunday, December 4, 2022 Recent posts Patty Phillips Founder / President of Patty's Pizza Jay Jay French Twisted Sister FamousInterview.com Rock & Roll Interviews, Celebrity Interviews and more. Mike picked that up right away. (Laughs). Hes a thief, and he got away with it. My kids 18-1, with 13 knock-outs. [3], Rooney successfully sued Mike Tyson for over $4 million claiming that the latter broke a contract by firing him in 1988.[4]. Q Whose idea was it to put something like this on? He grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and recalled an early life of crime. Then he knocked out Tyrell Biggs. If Tyson gradually saw a resemblance of his former self once again by reuniting with Kevin Rooney, he could regain his desire to ascend to the top of the heavyweight division. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Rooney wins $4.4 million in lawsuit against Tyson [AP]", Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Rooney_(boxer)&oldid=1141853459, BLP articles lacking sources from April 2019, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 04:30. He will make his pro-debut on the undercard of Joe DeGuardias Star Boxing ESPN Friday Night Fights card at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. He was a basketball player on the high school team, star guard. Q Had Jimmy Jacobs not died, Mikes story wouldve been different wouldnt it? I think it was back in the late 90s, early 2000, 2001. My kid hits hard. Rooney began professionally boxing in 1979 and acquired a record of twenty-one wins, four losses, and one draw. A I gave half to my lawyer, the rest to the government and I had at one time back in 1996, 1997, I had a little money in my back account. Recent Kevin Rooney interview about Mike Tyson 10-01-2011, 03:40 PM http://www.tysontalk.com/article720.html Talks a lot about how hard Tyson hit, says he would have been the greatest if he. Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks, billed as Once and For All, was a professional boxing match which took place on June 27, 1988. Mitch Blood Green sees his blood, and now hes p***ed off. What is this? If you follow what Im sayin, boxing is a hard game and its hard to get a young kid to stick with it is really what it comes down to. Under Cuss system you can do it in a very, very intelligent way, where youre not getting hurt and the only person getting hurt is the opponent. Ill be in my suit lookin like a gentleman and see what happens. When he was with Jimmy Jacobs, Bill Cayton, and Steve Watt, he was the man. I think Mike would have won. Mitch just suddenly started on Kevin Rooney, saying: Wheres my money? He hopped right over the rope and out of the door. Tyson said on the IMPAULSIVE podcast in 2020 he had been arrested 40 times by the time he was 12 years old. Until 1988, Rooney continued to train Tyson and was paid for each of Tyson's professional fights. As a result, we will never know how good Mike Tyson could have been. If you follow what Im sayin, boxing is a hard game and its hard to get a young kid to stick with it is really what it comes down to. He punched harder than Muhammad. He couldnt have been nicer about the whole thing. He was born into it. Remember, this was intended to be a comedy sketch for TV presenter Marc Middletons show. So, anyway, thats just when I started punching him. Im watching it on HBO the next day! Mike just went through the money. Mike just went through the money. Then wed go do bed. We were asking for $49 million dollars. Then Mike left Bill Clayton and tried to fire Kevin Rooney. And then we'd go to the gym. But, Bill was an excellent, excellent manager and businessman. But the Mike Tyson that I was training coming off of Cus DAmato I just think that that Mike Tyson would have won. I said I gotta remember what Cus taught me. A Comedy Centrals, which is good for boxing. You can buy it for $50. (Laughs). Under the tutelage of Cus D'Amato and Kevin Rooney, Mike Tyson became a 22-year-old world champion who was 35-0 with 31 knockouts. . The bell rings, first round. Seems like a good read Kevin Rooney, one of the legendary Cus D Amatos trainee s. Rooney answers questions about Mike Tyson. Bill had been a businessman his whole life. He was just looking to make money, and he was making money with Tyson. This is the United States of America. Kevin Rooney (born May 4, 1956, in Staten Island, New York) is an American boxing trainer. Mike Tyson, the 21-year-old heavyweight champion of the world, sat naked on a metal folding chair, fuming, desperate and angry, choking back tears. All times AEDT (GMT +11). People want to see someone get knocked out, lets face it. Ive said this before and Ill say it you, whats wrong right now is that ABC, CBS and NBC dont show any fights anymore. If I land a shot theyll feel it and that should put them out. As of 2010, Kevin acted in a consultative capacity on a stage play and screenplay written by Dianna Lefas about the life of Cus D'Amato, KNOCKOUT: The Cus D'Amato Story. Nothe great Shelly Finkel made him settle for $14 million dollars where hes paid off in increments of $3 million here, $3 million there, for, I dont know, 2 or 3 years, is how I remember it. A I gave half to my lawyer, the rest to the government and I had at one time back in 1996, 1997, I had a little money in my back account. Kevin didn't mess around, he had Tyson on a strict diet and a strict daily workout routine. Im supposed to be the guy thats leading everybody and then Ill take that leadership role. Youre not gonna stand there and say, hit me again. I dont really know how many people are gonna show up. Tyson lost to Douglas because he didnt prepare anywhere near what he should have and overlooked Buster. Anyway, Mike was a money machine. So, thats that. Then, I got hit in 1996, 1997, whenever it was, I had to pay $800,000 to the government. Rooney who worked under DAmatos tutelage and began assisting him in his coaching duties when Tyson was still an amateur, took complete control over Tyson, when DAmato passed away in November of 1985. You gotta help everybody and anybody as long as theyre honest and truthful. Tickets are priced at $80, $50 and $35. In the States, Mitch had a reputation for being a character. Although the interview was conducted in 2004 it still is very interesting to hear the thoughts and opinions of one of the very few men who ever really knew Mike Tyson. After being knocked out in the fourth round of his previous fight against Danny Williams on July 30, 2004 . He also lost to future WBA world Junior Middleweight champion Davey Moore, who avenged an amateur loss to Rooney, by a knockout in seven rounds, on June 21, 1981. Hes fighting this guy Willie Grubbs out of Philly. Although Tyson appeared to be ahead on points on the judges' scorecards through six rounds, he failed to answer the bell for the 7th round and was ruled defeated by technical knockout.. Background. For that reason were being guided by the Europeans, their ways and rules. People are still memorized by him. One kid is 18-1. This guy was a genius. Tyson Fury may have to look elsewhere if he can't secure a clash with Oleksandr Usyk next. Jimmy died, then Mike married Robin. Related posts. Thats what we need. We got Vito Auntefurmo, former Middleweight Champion of the world. My kids 18-1, with 13 knock-outs. The same opinion has been shared by Butch Lewis and Jerry Izenberg. Muhammad Ali. It's always a pleasure to listen to Kevin Rooney talk about his old charge Mike Tyson, who in his prime years in the 1980's, was the most exciting, destructive heavyweight force in boxing. Q Are you in contact with Mike Tyson today? People would send in challenges and Marc, to great amusement, would try to beat them at their own game. I think it was back in the late 90s, early 2000, 2001. And why? Both fighters were undefeated and each had a claim to being the legitimate heavyweight champion.At the time, Tyson held the belts of all three of the major sanctioning organizations (WBA, WBC, and IBF) while Spinks was The Ring and Boxing Illustrated magazine champion . I would want Mike to put tremendous pressure on him. People dont recognize Bill cause he was like the Quiet man. Muhammad Ali. Is it something like the old Dean Martin t.v. So, the moneys gone. They were tryin like hell to get him. Now people are talking, ah, hes nothing. A I was an ex-professional fighter. When I sued him (Tyson) and won the jury gave me $4 million. In the first round I was like Whoa! Right after he died I had a job in one of those correctional facilities in Catskill, Catskill Green Correctional. He should never have had the loss. So, I started teaching all these guys. Hes sparring with people. Its Comedy Central. He never calls me. Then Mike left Bill Clayton and tried to fire Kevin Rooney. It was a segment constantly on the lookout for hokey-cokey angles. None of this one day on and one day off crap. Tyson had remained focused under Jim Jacobs and his trainer Kevin Rooney. Now, if you got $100 million dollars lawsuit against Don King, definitely $150-$200 million dollarstake it to court and testify and Tyson would have won. Then we'd go do bed. I expect him to win and that will get him in the Top 15 in the world and hopefully the Top 10 and then by the end of the year Ill be hoping that Taylor will step up and take a shot at my kid. The official site of Brooklyn's own, Mike Tyson (AKA Iron Mike). Hes going across Europe. At that point, I thought: You guys handle this! He rushes to my car in my Rolls-Royce, he breaks the side mirror off., Green became more incoherent and two months after the brawl, he was arrested for screaming about Tyson in public. Wait. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Mike Tyson, in lengthy testimony in his former trainer's lawsuit against the heavyweight champion, denied Monday ever offering Kevin Rooney a career-long contract. Tyson's trainer, Kevin Rooney to whom the gesture of bemused surprise was directed is in the early stages of boxing-induced dementia at 60. Im standing there thinking: What is happening?. So and so is fighting so and so for a title or title elimination, and this is what is hurting the game. But when you got a kid that punches hard AND fast. You dont see that no more. We all go through money. (Laughs). and ESPN Deportes will start their telecasts LIVEat 8PM, ESPN2 will re-air at 10:30 PM. Edit. For example, one day a kid called in to say he could spin a basketball on his finger for longer than Marc. And then wed go to the gym. Hey Mike, guess what? Somewhere it got mixed up. Once Cus died, then it was Bill Cayton, and Jimmy Jacobs. I guess this guy dont want to fight. Maybe it speaks volumes about Mitch Blood Green, somewhat of a showman, that he went through with the comedy sparring sketch with the utmost professionalism. Great place to be Kevin! (Laughs). Itd be a really popular boxing book . When I had Mike we were in training camp for five weeks. I wont hurt you. He was one of the closest disciples of Cus D'Amato. I was a 5 time Golden Glove Champion. Im working with Joe Smith over here. So for anyone who thinks that this is just some stunt, or that he picked up a pair of gloves the other day and said he wanted to be a boxer, they are wrong and are going to be very surprised when you see him in that ring. A Right. He was a great, great businessman. He put his hands up, like, Hold it. Thats my philosophy. Over the weekend, Boxingtalk.com spoke with former longtime Mike Tyson trainer Kevin Rooney about the possibility of he and Tyson again hooking up to wreak havoc on the rest of the heavyweight division. MIKE TYSON'S FORMER TRAINER KEVIN ROONEY TALKS ABOUT SON TURNING PRO April 25, 2011. . A lot of it revolved around Mike dodging the punches coming at him. He was in the gym almost every day until he was 9 and then he stopped competing. When he was with Jimmy Jacobs, Bill Cayton, and Steve Watt, he was the man. He punches harder than Rocky. I try to teach my kids to be elusive. 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