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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Roxanne Jones
Aired February 22, 2003 - 09:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, Mike Tyson finally gets back in the ring, and the talk will be about what happens between the ropes, and not between his ears. Tyson will be fighting Clifford Etienne in a fight that was canceled numerous times in the past week.
Joining us from New York this morning is Roxanne Jones of "ESPN the Magazine" to talk about all things Tyson.
Always love to talk about here, right, Roxanne?
ROXANNE JONES, "ESPN THE MAGAZINE": That's right.
COLLINS: Let's go ahead and get straight to it. What's on his face?
JONES: Well, it's a tattoo that is part of -- it's a symbol from the native Maori tribe of New Zealand. Those people tattoo their whole bodies. So that little scroll on the side of his face is part of a whole -- entire body tattoo. There you go.
COLLINS: So is it possible that this tattoo is not finished?
JONES: It's totally possible. I mean, those people tattoo the -- from head to toe, so we'll have to wait and see what Mike wants to do with his body.
COLLINS: OK.
Let's also talk a little bit about why you think that he has done this. Is this sort of a motivational thing, or something to intimidate his opponent, or is there any talk about that?
JONES: Well, you know, with Mike, you never know. Maybe it's just so we all have something to talk about. And he -- maybe he's into the Maori tribe and things they believe in. And, you know, maybe he wanted to get out of the fight. You know, it's kind of bizarre behavior just before a fight to get a tattoo. They're very painful...
COLLINS: Right.
JONES: ... they're delicate for about five or six weeks after you get the tattoo. And that's without going into a boxing ring. So just imagine if you're getting hit there. That's just...
COLLINS: Yes, and I heard that the -- that's right, the doctors have been saying that it won't be a problem if it heals correctly. But, obviously, that's a possibility that it won't with any sort of scab or any sort of...
JONES: Oh, absolutely.
COLLINS: Yes.
JONES: And it can't really heal for another four weeks or so. So it's not healed, as he goes into the ring tonight. It's still sensitive.
COLLINS: OK.
JONES: So I think that's a sore spot.
COLLINS: Right. No play on words there, I'm sure.
Tell us a little bit about Clifford Etienne. This guy has been in prison for about 10 years, coming out now, for a million dollars, right?
JONES: Right.
COLLINS: Do you think he has a chance?
JONES: I really don't think he has a chance. But, you know, with Mike Tyson, you never know. I mean, maybe he goes in and freaks out, and it's by decision. He's disqualified and Etienne wins.
COLLINS: OK, well, speaking of freaking out, you know, some people wonder why the focus is no longer on the heavyweight division, and it sort of has switched over to the lightweight decision. Is it because of these sort of personalities, and because of these sort of, as you say, bizarre behaviors?
JONES: Well, actually, I think the heavyweight division just has a loss -- a lack of characters, you know? That's always been the primo division in boxing. The other levels are interesting, but really Americans and boxing fans like the big sloth (ph) kind of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pounding it out.
Despite Tyson, who holds everyone's attraction, we just don't have two characters who match up well against each other who we can, you know, portray one as a good guy and one as a bad guy. We don't have that. So I don't think it's antics alone that has chased people away from the heavyweight division. I think it's a lack of good boxers. They just don't have it at that level.
COLLINS: OK, I want to go back just a moment for some -- to some video that we just saw here and read to you...
JONES: OK.
COLLINS: ... something that was written by an AP writer, obviously, who specializes in boxing. It says -- with the little boy on his lap, if we could see that video once again, it says, "The sight of Mike Tyson playfully nibbling on the arm of his baby boy wouldn't have been so startling, except this was the guy who once threatened to eat Lenox Lewis's children." Yikes.
JONES: Well, you know, I saw that video. And, you know, one thing about Mike, you know, I've covered him for a long time at "ESPN the Magazine" and before then. I've been to his house in Connecticut, where he was a graceful host, you know, nothing like we've ever seen before in the ring. He does things just to stir up attention because he knows everyone will pick up on it. I saw that picture too.
COLLINS: Oh, we don't do that in the media.
JONES: You know -- well, you know, I think we do. And fans do too. I mean, I saw that picture, and clearly, he's not going to eat the kid.
COLLINS: No.
JONES: He's not -- you know, he doesn't eat humans. But I think he just plays up this image we have of him, you know, for good or bad.
COLLINS: Just ears.
JONES: Yes, yes.
COLLINS: OK. All right, Roxanne Jones from "ESPN the Magazine," we do appreciate it this morning.
JONES: All right.
COLLINS: Thanks so much.
JONES: All right. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 22, 2003 - 09:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, Mike Tyson finally gets back in the ring, and the talk will be about what happens between the ropes, and not between his ears. Tyson will be fighting Clifford Etienne in a fight that was canceled numerous times in the past week.
Joining us from New York this morning is Roxanne Jones of "ESPN the Magazine" to talk about all things Tyson.
Always love to talk about here, right, Roxanne?
ROXANNE JONES, "ESPN THE MAGAZINE": That's right.
COLLINS: Let's go ahead and get straight to it. What's on his face?
JONES: Well, it's a tattoo that is part of -- it's a symbol from the native Maori tribe of New Zealand. Those people tattoo their whole bodies. So that little scroll on the side of his face is part of a whole -- entire body tattoo. There you go.
COLLINS: So is it possible that this tattoo is not finished?
JONES: It's totally possible. I mean, those people tattoo the -- from head to toe, so we'll have to wait and see what Mike wants to do with his body.
COLLINS: OK.
Let's also talk a little bit about why you think that he has done this. Is this sort of a motivational thing, or something to intimidate his opponent, or is there any talk about that?
JONES: Well, you know, with Mike, you never know. Maybe it's just so we all have something to talk about. And he -- maybe he's into the Maori tribe and things they believe in. And, you know, maybe he wanted to get out of the fight. You know, it's kind of bizarre behavior just before a fight to get a tattoo. They're very painful...
COLLINS: Right.
JONES: ... they're delicate for about five or six weeks after you get the tattoo. And that's without going into a boxing ring. So just imagine if you're getting hit there. That's just...
COLLINS: Yes, and I heard that the -- that's right, the doctors have been saying that it won't be a problem if it heals correctly. But, obviously, that's a possibility that it won't with any sort of scab or any sort of...
JONES: Oh, absolutely.
COLLINS: Yes.
JONES: And it can't really heal for another four weeks or so. So it's not healed, as he goes into the ring tonight. It's still sensitive.
COLLINS: OK.
JONES: So I think that's a sore spot.
COLLINS: Right. No play on words there, I'm sure.
Tell us a little bit about Clifford Etienne. This guy has been in prison for about 10 years, coming out now, for a million dollars, right?
JONES: Right.
COLLINS: Do you think he has a chance?
JONES: I really don't think he has a chance. But, you know, with Mike Tyson, you never know. I mean, maybe he goes in and freaks out, and it's by decision. He's disqualified and Etienne wins.
COLLINS: OK, well, speaking of freaking out, you know, some people wonder why the focus is no longer on the heavyweight division, and it sort of has switched over to the lightweight decision. Is it because of these sort of personalities, and because of these sort of, as you say, bizarre behaviors?
JONES: Well, actually, I think the heavyweight division just has a loss -- a lack of characters, you know? That's always been the primo division in boxing. The other levels are interesting, but really Americans and boxing fans like the big sloth (ph) kind of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pounding it out.
Despite Tyson, who holds everyone's attraction, we just don't have two characters who match up well against each other who we can, you know, portray one as a good guy and one as a bad guy. We don't have that. So I don't think it's antics alone that has chased people away from the heavyweight division. I think it's a lack of good boxers. They just don't have it at that level.
COLLINS: OK, I want to go back just a moment for some -- to some video that we just saw here and read to you...
JONES: OK.
COLLINS: ... something that was written by an AP writer, obviously, who specializes in boxing. It says -- with the little boy on his lap, if we could see that video once again, it says, "The sight of Mike Tyson playfully nibbling on the arm of his baby boy wouldn't have been so startling, except this was the guy who once threatened to eat Lenox Lewis's children." Yikes.
JONES: Well, you know, I saw that video. And, you know, one thing about Mike, you know, I've covered him for a long time at "ESPN the Magazine" and before then. I've been to his house in Connecticut, where he was a graceful host, you know, nothing like we've ever seen before in the ring. He does things just to stir up attention because he knows everyone will pick up on it. I saw that picture too.
COLLINS: Oh, we don't do that in the media.
JONES: You know -- well, you know, I think we do. And fans do too. I mean, I saw that picture, and clearly, he's not going to eat the kid.
COLLINS: No.
JONES: He's not -- you know, he doesn't eat humans. But I think he just plays up this image we have of him, you know, for good or bad.
COLLINS: Just ears.
JONES: Yes, yes.
COLLINS: OK. All right, Roxanne Jones from "ESPN the Magazine," we do appreciate it this morning.
JONES: All right.
COLLINS: Thanks so much.
JONES: All right. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
