'Iron' Mike Tyson loses cool when reminded of rape during live TV show

London, Nov 4 : Boxing legend Mike Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight world champion at the age of 20, showed his bad side once again when he got infuriated during a live TV show.

Tyson was jailed for rape in 1992 and shocked the world when he bit a chunk out of fellow heavyweight Evander Holyfield’s ear during a comeback bout five years later.

Sky News Dermot Murnaghan was quizzing Tyson about his spectacular rise to the top of the boxing pile, but their conversation soured when the spotlight turned to his dramatic fall from grace.

At this point Tyson’s manager Jimmy Clyne, who organised his tour of the UK, stormed out of a nearby room and walked up to the set, where Sky News sports editor Lee Wellings headed him off.

“I had to put my hand on his shoulder and tell him it’s fine, Dermot will keep things under control. He came back to the green room and watched the rest of the interview with a face like thunder,” Wellings said.

Murnaghan’s line of questioning clearly infuriated the former boxing champion, and he snarled: “I was a young kid then. I’m 43 years old and you’re still dwelling on something I did when I was 20. What do you want to get from this interview?”

“I don’t know if I am (a different person now) or not. I don’t want to be the person I was but change comes in time. You’re irritating me now. I guess I did change because I’m not assailing you,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

“You’re irritating me right now because I feel as though you’re evoking stuff from the past — that stuff is from 15 or 20 years ago,” Tyson said.

After the broadcast, Murnaghan admitted he had felt intimidated by Tyson’s confrontational attitude.

--ANI