I haven’t really paid that much attention to the Mike Tyson marriage thing simply because I thought that he and the mother of his child felt the need to sanctify their relationship…finally….after the horrible tragedy of their daughter Exodus’ death. I just assumed that the two needed each other to lean on and tying the knot so soon after the death was just a symbolic gesture. But I was totally wrong. Exodus was the daughter of Mike’s 2nd wife and not his newest bride, Lakiha Spicer. Not really a big deal but ESPN’s boxing sports writer had quite a bit to say about Mike’s decision:
So let me get this straight: Just two weeks after the horrible accidental death of his 4-year-old daughter, Exodus Tyson, Mike Tyson got married? Tyson got hitched for the third time — to Lakiha Spicer, who is not the mother of the toddler — in Las Vegas last Saturday night. I know people mourn in different ways, but doesn’t the timing strike you as extremely odd? How do you go from the death of a child, the saddest of all days, to marriage, which is supposed to be the happiest of days, in just two weeks?
I’ll be the first guy to wish Tyson nothing but the best in his new marriage. I really do hope things work out for him. But it just seems that for the former heavyweight champ to get married so quickly after the worst tragedy a parent can suffer means this union appears doomed before it has really even started. I hope I’m wrong, but Tyson’s marital track record is poor. He has admitted to cheating regularly, and his first wife, actress Robin Givens, accused him of physical abuse. Old dogs generally don’t learn new tricks.
In 2005, over the course of a few days before his fight in Washington against Kevin McBride, which turned out to be Tyson’s final bout, I conducted two lengthy interviews with him in which we covered numerous subjects.
One of the topics we covered was marriage. Tyson was divorced from Givens and Monica Turner, and said he had no plans to marry again, admitting that he was a bad husband. Here’s what he told me in 2005:
“Robin and me, we were two young kids who never should have been married in the first place. Deep down inside, [Turner] is still a little angry about the whole situation. I respect that. She divorced me. I give up. I lost. They beat me. They won. They got me good. I know I was a dog and I wasn’t behaving well. I got myself together now, and it’s too late. [Divorce makes] you feel like you are a failure. What’s wrong with me? No one can get along with me. I can’t get along with anyone.” (source)
That quote was 4 years ago. People change and “never” is a word that should never be used. I also disagree with that old adage about old dogs. My Lhasa Apso is going on 13 years old and he learns new things every day. Hell…that lil b*tch finds new and inventive ways to sneak and chew up ish all the time! Now I’m not implying that Mike can or can’t change his ways, but give the man a break! Two weeks, two days, two years. Doesn’t matter. It may seem “too soon” or insensitive to anyone who’s never walked in his shoes, but personally my heart goes out to him. And if taking a new bride helps him get through the days. So be it.