In November of 1986, Rudy Gonzalez met Mike Tyson by chance, on his first job as a part-time. limousine driver. A short time later, Tyson hired Rudy as his full time chauffeur and later expanded his duties to include bodyguard and personal aide. Rudy Gonzalez was the only employee hired by Tyson, who was at Mike’s side, around the clock, for 5 1/2 years; Now, Rudy with help from Martin Feigenbaum tells the dramatic story of his time with Tyson in the book” The Inner Ring, The Set Up of Mike Tyson and The Uncrowning of Don King” (The Oliver Publishing Group, Inc., 100 S.E. 2nd St., Ste. 2750, Miami, Fla., 33131-2146).
“The Inner Ring” is the best look yet at the inner world of Mike Tyson by a man who was part of his inner ring.
We talked with Rudy Gonzalez about Mike Tyson.
Q – Rudy, what has happened to you since this book has been published? Have you received death threats?
A – Yeah, that’s been an ongoing thing in my life. At this point, I don’t know what’s real and what’s fake, with the threats. Not only have I received threats, but I’ve also been implicated in being a bomber, if you can believe that. Don King and John Horne (Tyson’s co-mgr.), notified the F.B.I. and said I may be one of the suspects looking for them. Ever since Mike Tyson signed up with the MGM Grand (for his fights), they have been receiving letters made out of newspaper clippings threatening to blow up the MGM Grand, and kill Mike Tyson When the feds went to investigate this and question Tyson, he said nobody he knows could possibly be responsible for this. John Horne jumped up and said I was the madman who was doing this.
Q – So you’ve been investigated?
A – Well what happened is, when I arrived in Las Vegas for the McNeeley fight, I was greeted by four federal agents, who waited for me to step off a plane. They took me into a room and questioned me. They took hair and skin samples and fingerprints. I cooperated in giving all this evidence. They really assured me that they knew I wasn’t the culprit behind this move. They knew the nail was coming from somewhere else. They wouldn’t tell me where. They asked me why Don King would give my name, why implicate me? He said of all the guys Don knew, why would he say your name? What’s strange Gary, is, one of the agents was a federal agent for 35 years and he said “Rudy, I got a problem with someone who offers to give me information, because they basically want us to look one way, when in reality it’s coming from another angle.” They thought they were playing games with the feds.
Q – What have you been doing to promote “The Inner Ring?” Have you done any book tours?
A – No. None of that. Basically, when I wrote the book, the only way I wanted the book to be read, was by people in the boxing industry who I knew, and they knew who I was. So, I sent them copies. Ever since then, it’s been an avalanche of interest, and concern for Mike Tyson’s well-being.
Q – Did you go on any of the talk shows?
A – No. I’ve done none of that stuff.
Q – Rudy, this book is such a great read that I’m surprised a Random House or a Simon and Schuster wouldn’t have picked it up. Did you go to any major publishers?
A – When I wrote the manuscript I went to some of the big publishing houses and everyone seemed to have a major interest in the book. But, when it came down to the legal aspects of this book, they were all very concerned that they were gonna be locked away in lawsuits forever, with Don. One publisher said you can’t write about things like this and not be sued. It’s impossible. At that time I let them know that Don would never step forward for any kind of lawsuit with me, because the only defense I have is the truth. But, I couldn’t sell them on that. There was a gentleman who was the President of Random House and he wrote me a hand-written note that said in all the years he’s been publishing books, that this book had touched him in a way that no other book had and that he had no doubt in his mind that this book would be a Number One Best Seller. He also advised me to publish it myself, and not to wait for anyone, No one would cross that line, and do this book for me, because of the legal impact it might have. He actually wrote me a ten step way of doing it and I followed it. I own the Oliver Publishing Group. I am the Oliver Publishing Group.
Q – I think we’re both in agreement, that Mike Tyson was framed in that rape charge, right?
A – Yes. I know from the bottom of my heart that what happened to Mike Tyson was no coincidence. People ask me how I know that. Prior to that, for the last six years of his life, my job as part of his security team and personal assistant was to create a safe environment for him. That- was always a concern with us, was the girls. The girls came from all angles, from all walks of life, from all religions, and from all colors. But, we were always concerned with Mike’s behavior, his aggressiveness, and his actual wellbeing with some of these girls. Mike Tyson was never really left alone with anyone. The only thing Don really wanted to have done was to remove the safety mechanism. It’s sort of like me removing the brakes tonight from your car, and giving you the keys. I don’t have to push the car to the driveway for you to kill yourself. You understand?
Q – I do. Here’s where we part company. You believe Don. King had something to do with Mike’s rape charges. I do not believe that. It makes more sense that a rival promoter had something to do with it. A rival promoter would gain more with Tyson out of the picture than Don King would. For Don King to have set it up, would’ve meant that he would’ve know in advance what Mike’s Sentence would be , and that the judge would commute it. I don’t buy that.
A – That scenario works for me, except for one thing, there was no rival promoter. The problem with Don King and Mike Tyson was back in June of 1991. Don had a big problem. Mike, against all of Kings wishes decided he was gonna fight Evander Holyfield at Caesar-’s Hotel in November of that year. Don could not let that fight happen, just like right now Tyson can’t go and fight Riddick Bowe. He can’t go fight Lennox Lewis. He can’t fight anybody that Don King does not control, because of Don’s greed and Don’s dealings with organized crime; in this case Steve Wynn and all the wise guys who rim that hotel. He could not go back to them and say, “You know what, Mike found out I’ve been messing with his money, so he’s mad at me, and he signed a fight across the street at Caesar’s Hotel. He’s fighting Evander Holyfield and I’ve got nothing to do with it. He couldn’t do that. Instead he had to go back with a sad story. His story was you know my boy got in trouble. They got ‘em. They got ‘em’ good. Therefore he saves face with everyone. But, he assured Tyson that night in the room when he threw him the t-shirt, there was only one t-shirt made, and I have it. It was the Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield t-shirt, and the fight was set on November 11, 1991 at Caesar’s Hotel. Underneath it was the TVKO logo, o.k.? Don hit Mike Tyson in the face with that t-shirt, and said, “Mike, you are never gonna fight that fight.” Mike stood up and say, “You watch me Don! I’m doing this with you, without you, over you, under you. I’m fighting Evander Holyfield come November 11.” This was right before the Razor Ruddock Two Fight. This was June of 1991. We’re talking five weeks before Desiree Washington. King knew that Mike needed to be railroaded. .
Q – you write in your book, “There always had been girls around Mike Tyson because he had an incredible sexual appetite.” So Don King exerted his control over Mike through women?
A – He fed it to him, just like he fed the drugs to Chavez, just like he fed the cocaine to Camacho. Whatever these guys drive on, they feed ‘em. It’s no different. The scenario is the same. I’ll never forget in Mexico, he put a half a kilo of cocaine on the table as part of the negotiation for the Chavez, Camacho fight, and be got Camacho to sign.
Q – Dale Edwards, Tyson’s bodyguard…
A – He was not a bodyguard.
Q – What was his job, and why wasn’t he with Mike in Indianapolis where this rape supposedly occurred?
A – Dale Edwards is Don King’s nephew. He had no role or title. He did not work for our organization. He can never show a paycheck. He was a Cleveland police officer who is related to Don King and that’s why he was used. Don knew he would leave Mike alone. His scenario was he was downstairs ordering food in a four star hotel when you got Mike Tyson in a Presidential Suite. You pick up that phone, you call the concierge, and say “Mike wants food.” There’s no reason for you to leave Tyson alone. But, he needed to get Mike there, make sure he was there. I’m sure Dale Edwards was on the phone with Don King at the same time Mike Tyson was supposedly raping Desiree Washington. That’s why she waited 48 hours. Don King was systematically trying to get Mike to cancel that fight. The press conference was that Monday for the fight. So somewhere along the line, she got a phone call, and told “Go for it. It’s not gonna happen.” Then she dialed 911.
Q – What have you been able to find out about Desiree Washington? Is it possible that someone promised her money?
A – She settled with Mike Tyson as soon as he came out of prison. The civil suit was settled quietly in bed. Why would a woman who got raped, and had a responsibility to every Black woman in this country as she c1aimed, “I’m doing this for every woman who’s been a victim of rape,” why would she jump back in bed with the guy that raped her?
Q – What I was asking is if it’s possible that someone promised Desiree money if she screamed rape.
A – In a movie version of this book, she was meeting with John Horne and Rory Holloway (Tyson’s managers), somewhere up in Albany where she lived and they lived and some money was exchanged. She was too perfect for the scenario. You know what my problem with Mike Tyson was that night? He would’ve done all the girls in the beauty pageant, not just one. He would’ve been from room to room to room, like we had been for the last six years. But, she had enough information. He always said that. He said, “Rudy, she knew so much about me I felt comfortable.” She played the Robin Givens on him, the pigeons, the cars, and she wanted to talk about things. He was like a child. He’s like, “Wow, I found a girl that’s interested in things that I like.”
Q – Did anyone on the floor of that hotel hear the screams of Desiree?
A – She never screamed. After the alleged rape, she got dressed, she walked out, she went back home and she went on with the beauty pageant,-which she lost. Then she waited 48 hours for her instructions.
Q – Ted Watley, an ex-contract negotiator for Don King, told you, that after Desiree came forward with this rape charge, King said, ‘Tyson had to be taught a lesson.” Where was Ted Watley when Mike needed him?
A – Ted Watley was doing exactly what he was supposed to do. He’s in Camden, New Jersey. You see, everybody stepped aside. You understand? That was the problem I had. No one knew anything. There’s so much money involved in Vegas. No one interfered. Then you got the case of the lawyer. Mike Tyson saw that lawyer one time. Vince Fuller and Mike Tyson met one time, in nine months. You know what Vince Fuller’s words were to Mike Tyson? “I’m very concerned what you’re gonna wear the day of the trial, Mike!” That was it.
Q – This as a $5,000 a day attorney?
A – Yeah.
Q – He didn’t take the whole trial very seriously then, did he?
A – Well, of course he didn’t take it seriously. He wasn’t supposed to. If you look at the history of Vince Fuller, he was Don King’s tax attorney for 20 years. Vince Fuller was more ignorant in that case than any of the people involved in it.
Q – I often thought that Mike needed a criminal lawyer over a tax lawyer.
A – You know what he needed? He needed the “Dream Team.” Where was Mike’s legal team?
Q – Had Jim Jacobs (Tyson’s co-manager in the 80’s) lived, Tyson’s life would’ve been different, wouldn’t it?
A – It would’ve, but more importantly if Denise Tyson had been alive, Don King would’ve had no chance of getting Mike Tyson.
Q – Who is Denise Tyson?
A – Denise is his sister, who died under very strange circumstances, in 1989. Denise was the only one standing between Tyson and King at that time. All of a sudden Denise died. I just found out recently that the Oliver Publishing Group and another gentleman by the name of Karl White, Who’s a newscaster on Fox television, purchased a tombstone for his sister, because her gravestone was left without a tombstone, for all these years. You know why? Don never wanted her remembered or found. She was a very strong hand in Tyson’s life. Everyone who meant anything to Tyson has been systematically removed. If you saw Tyson’s last fight on Fox, everybody around him is dressed like John Dillinger. They’re all King’s disciples around Mike. Mike is alone, surrounded by all of Kings disciples. They’re all dressed like they’re superstars. Mike is not fighting. Mike is swinging punches like a girl. He’s missing the blocks. He’s not ducking. He’s not clipping. No one is training Tyson, ‘cause no one cares. At this point, Mike is a paid fighter. He doesn’t need a championship, he doesn’t need to do anything but do what, Don King tells him to do.
Q – Rudy, Jet’s look at Mike’s present situation in ad different light. He gets out of prison in March, and by year’s end he’s got two fights under his belt, with a third on the way. How do we know that we could’ve done any better? Maybe under the circumstances he’s doing the best he can possibly do.
A – Right, but let me tell you something, Mike could’ve eaten these guys for breakfast. Mike should’ve gotten out of jail and gone to the real guys. Who’s out there that can mess with him? Riddick Bowe? Evander Holyfield? Give me a break. Mike has gone through these guys like peanut butter. It’s not a question of whether he’s ready or not. Mike doesn’t need physical training to be a fighter. Mike is not like that. But, what they needed to do is chop Mike down. The first thing to come out of Mike Tyson’s mouth was “I want to be known to be affiliated with the biggest and the best and the MGM Grand.” You know why? Nobody’s in his comer telling him right now, “Hey Mike, you are the biggest and the best because before you came out of jail, the MGM Grand couldn’t pay their rent. Now we book the hotel, and now they’re on the map, because of you.” What do they do? They make him think that he’s small now. You gotta understand, they don’t need a powerhouse now. They need someone they can control, so they tell him the MGM is gonna take you, but you gotta walk very slowly. You gotta be very careful what you do. But, it’s all a mind game.
Q – Mike, being 29 years old, they don’t have all that much time to cultivate him. Younger guys are coming up all the time. He doesn’t have five or six years.
A – Exactly. He’s not gonna be around five or six years. Don King is running his business the same way the Nazis ran World War II. Mike Tyson right now is going through what they call reconditioning, and from this stage he’ll be gone. There’s not gonna be any Mike Tyson, as soon as Don King can milk everything out of him. That’s all it means to King. It doesn’t mean anything anymore. The numbers are so great, and he owns everything. He owns both fighters. He owns the management. He owns the casinos. He owns everything. Don doesn’t lose. At this point, Mike Tyson can shadow box and Don will still be a billionaire over it.
Q – He’s got that much power?
A – Yeah. Everything is controlled by King. That’s the problem with this sport. It should be a conflict of interest when your promoter is actually your manager. The two guys I really hate the most are John and Rory who really sold out their friendship, who are paid flunkies of King, to keep Mike dumb, to keep Mike intoxicated with the sex, anything, as long as he signs on the dotted line.
Q – John Horne is not managing Mike Tyson then, Don King is? Is John Horne a front then for King?
A – He’s a front. John Horne is what we would consider in business as a spy. He puts the program into Mike. They keep Mike controlled. If Mike gets up today and says, “You know what? I want to go fight Riddick Bowe,” then their job is to bring in 20 girls for Mike all day, make sure he gets drunk and then talk him out of it; “Mike, you don’t want to do that. Nobody’s gonna pay to see you.” This is what they do. They erase everything he thinks about.
Q – Didn’t I see Mike Tyson on t.v. saying he had changed his attitude and his lifestyle, because of his new found interest in religion?
A – He got religion right up to the point where he walked out and Don King threw a blanket in front of America and threw him in the limousine and left the Muslims standing out in the cold. I don’t understand how the Nation of Islam allowed King to go in there, step in, and take over this guy.
Q – I don’t understand it either.
A – You know why? ‘Cause they’re getting paid that’s why. Everybody’s getting paid, not to cooperate.
Q – Before Don King who was boxing’s Premiere Promoter? Was there anybody?
A – NO. He’s always been Number One from the day he grabbed Muhammad Ali and walked out with Muhammed Ali. He hasn’t been stopped. There is no competition, ‘cause he wipes out the competition. The only thing near competition for King just died recently which was Dan Duva. Don’s got a clean slate now.
Q – How about Bob Arum?
A – Bob Arum is weak. He’s a weak man. He’s got no backbone. Just like Bill Cayton (Tyson’s co-mgr. in the 1980’s) was very weak at a certain time in his life, because Don is very intimidating. Why? Because he uses money. He uses piles and piles of money. You gotta understand these kids’ mentality. These kids come out of nothing, from nowhere. They’re staring at a million dollars and a man who’s telling ya he’s gonna make your life o.k. Who wouldn’t sign?
Q – And not telling you he’ll probably make $50 million dollars.
A – Not telling you the million dollars he’s giving you is o.k., but you owe me four on top of that, and the million I give you, you already owe me half of that, and by the time you look, there’s nothing left. Let me give you an exclusive on what I’m doing right now. I’ve got a deal on the table right now. I just met with Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Heat, the Florida Panthers, and Blockbuster Video. I went to him r and asked him about Mike: They said, they~, would want Mike Tyson, but nobody knows how to get Mike Tyson. I’ve been able to put together a package. This is what the package reads, we put together $500 million dollars for Mike Tyson to fight five fights on HBO. HBO is gonna put up half and Wayne Huizenga is gonna put up half. They also put up a $100 million dollar signing bonus for Tyson, that he will receive on the signing of the contract. Part of this deal includes Wayne Huizenga has put together Mike Tyson’s original team, myself, Steve Lott, and Kevin Rooney. .
Q – Who will manage Tyson?
A – Well, that’s all up in the air. The question is, to put together that kind of deal and go public with it and Mike Tyson not to take it, something is definitely wrong. He just signed a ten fight deal with King for $80 million dollars, and he’s going nowhere. Here, HBO is willing to put his team back together, give him 6 months, and start with Evander Holyfield.
Q – Certainly the public wants that. He can’t go on much longer fighting guys the caliber of Peter McNeely.
A – Exactly, that that’s why I’ve become the nucleus of this deal. My deal is this, if HBO will go on t.v. with me, Kevin Rooney, and his original Team Tyson and talk to him, I want to show him on television, everything in the book (“The Inner Ring”). I want to show him the paychecks. I want him to know where everything went, where his money went, where his cars went. Right now, they got him intoxicated. Right behind me, you’ve got Kevin Rooney actually showing him footage of what he’s fighting like. Then you got Riddick Bowe, Holyfield, Lenox Lewis, Michael Moore, on t.v., pulling Mike out calling him a chump on HBO, Evander Holyfield’s quote is be, “You went to jail before you stepped into the ring with me.” Money alone is not gonna move Tyson. What’s gonna move Tyson is if we all as a business in this sport get together and say Mike you don’t look good , you’re fighting nobodies, and you don’t got it no more.
Q – You’re going to present all this to Mike?
A – I’m making arrangements to meet with Mike privately. I don’t know what Mike’s reaction is gonna be.
Q – What was the purpose of Al Braverman spreading the rumor that Jim Jacobs died of AIDS? (Jim Jacobs died of Leukemia).
A – In 1986, when Mike won the Heavyweight Championship of the World, do you remember Jim Jacobs kissed Mike Tyson on the mouth?
Q I don’t recall that.
A – You need to see that. In fact I’ll tell you where you can get it right now. Bill Cayton just came out with a film. It’s called ” Mike Tyson: The Inside Story”. If you look at that film you’re gonna be shocked. You’re gonna see Jim Jacobs kiss Tyson on the mouth, but not like a man kiss. It was actually something that shocked a lot of people because Jim Jacobs kissed Mike in a very strange way. O.K.? Tyson has been trying to protect the image of Jim Jacobs and Cus D’mato. There’s been rumors for years that Cus used to molest boys up in that Catskill house.
Q – They’re rumors. Do we know it’s true?
A – For them to spread rumors that Jim Jacobs died of AIDS is just part of the Master Plan.
Q – So, Jim Jacobs wasn’t gay.
A – No, he wasn’t. Somebody should smack them in the mouth. If I ever see Al Braverman in Vegas, I’m gorma make sure I let him know about that. This is why I say Don King studies propaganda. He studies it like a science. Propaganda is one of the most powerful weapons used in World War II. Six million people died out of a rumor. The science behind propaganda is very real, and it’s very powerful. Don studies that. Don manipulates. Don plays with people like we play chess. He uses gossip to destroy everything. It’s very easy to destroy a person by rumor. It’s faster than it is with a bullet. This is where Don becomes a dangerous man. He’s hiding behind the real problems of this world, racism. It’s a very serious issue. He’s using it as a weapon.
Q – What childhood trauma led Mike to never sleep on a bed?
A – I’ll tell you Why. His trauma was they used to tie him to a bed to control him, to keep him out of the street. They used to tie him to a bed during the day and leave him strapped down to a bed all night. His brother Ronnie Tyson used to tie him to a bed. I never knew why he treated his brother so badly. You got $200 million dollars and your brother is living in the streets of L.A. Somethings wrong. I asked him about it one day. I said, “Mike, don’t you think it’s time we do something for Ronnie?” He said, “Yeah. Go buy him a car, but you bring it to him. I don’t want to see him.” I said, “Why?” He said, “He used to tie me to a bed and that’s why I don’t sleep on a bed.” Which makes sense. We hear about that now, leaving children alone. Everything now comes out.
Q – You write that Tyson had to be served drinks in a plastic cup rather than glass because he would break the glass with his grip. Did he ever break a glass in his hand before a fight?
A – Yeah. All the time. That’s why we walked around with a stack of paper cups. That’s why I had a big problem with the testimony of Desiree Washington. Desiree Washington said that Mike Tyson got on top of her, grabbed her by the neck, then. pinned her down to the bed. If he would’ve done that, he would’ve snapped her little neck, or she would have had massive black and blue marks. Mike grabbed me by the arm once and I had black and blue marks all over my arm, and we were just horse playing! We were playing touch football on the property. He grabbed me and wanted to tackle me, and the next morning I had bruises. I was like, “Damn, Mike.” He was like, “Damn, I’m that strong?” He had the grip of a gorilla. Picture him grabbing a 98 pound woman by the neck, and forcibly trying to hold her down. He would’ve snapped her little neck off.
Q – Magic Johnson and Mike shared many of the same “groupies.” Do we know that Mike is AIDS free?
A – Well, I know that my last year with him in work, that he was very concerned with AIDS. Mike Tyson wore a rubber that night with Desiree Washington, and nobody has brought that up. You see, this whole trial needs to be opened again, man. I can’t believe Mike is so stupid that he allows them to seal his name forever as being a rapist. His kids are gonna grow up knowing that their daddy was Mike Tyson, the rapist boxer. If Don would’ve really cared for this man, his whole team would’ve sat down, and we would’ve nailed all this stuff out. The night that he left on the plane, he had three rubbers. He used one of ‘em with Angie B. There was one rubber that came back with him in the bag. When I asked him about the other rubber, he’s like, “Yeah, I met this chick Desiree and I did it and I used a rubber on her.” Where was the rubber brought up in trial? What rapist puts on a condom before he rapes a girl? I gotta tell you, nothing feared Mike more than the time Magic Johnson called him. He was shocked. We knew it months before it became public. He called Mike and said, “I gotta talk to you.” We flew to L.A. and he told Mike and Arsenio Hall, “I got AIDS from some of these girls we’ve been fooling around with.” Mike went ballistic. He got tested every day for like a month. The doctors were telling Mike it doesn’t work like that, you gotta come back periodically, every six months.
Q – Rudy, any final thoughts?
A – I invested all my money in this book. This book cost me $50,000 to publish. I hocked everything. I sold everything. I was gonna make sure this story was told. Somewhere along the line, something is gonna come back to me. I don’t want it to be money. I want it to be my boss. I want to continue what we were doing. I want him to continue on with his career. I want him to become a role model for these children in America who need it.
