It Ain't Easy Being Mike Tyson

Everybody's favorite punching bag -- Mike Tyson -- has just sold one his last possessions of any great value: his luxurious villa in Phoenix, Arizona's private Paradise Valley residence. Tyson needs the money to pay for his lawyer as he gets ready to return to court yet AGAIN on August 20, 2007: this time to plead forgiveness for the ex-fighter's 29 December arrest outside a Scottsdale nightclub, where police officers found cocaine both in his car and on his person.

Tyson's villa -- purchased back in 2004 for about 2.1 million dollars was quickly and quietly sold for about 2.3 million. This according to reports published in Maxboxing.com.

Certainly the money won't be going into Tyson's wallet to be spent on a good time. At 40 years old and with few options left -- prosecutors are looking to put Tyson in jail for up to 7 and 1/2 years. For his part, Tyson went into rehab immediately after his arrest and has since said he's "...been clean now for over 70 days..." (15 Apri, Maxboxing.com).

On one hand it's all to easy to sympathize with Mike Tyson - who has come up with some inventive ways to blow an estimated 300 million dollars in ring earnings as the world's youngest heavyweight boxing champion: he was used and abused by boxing promoter Don King. He was taken to the cleaners in a costly divorce settlement with his ex-wife (actually there has been more than one. Robin Givens just happens to be the most famous). And oh yeah - he bit off a portion of Evander Holyfield's ear.

On the other hand though, Tyson had plenty of opportunities for meaningful mentorship throughout his career. He just chose not to take them. To his credit, Tyson walked away from the ring before embarrassing himself any further against fighters he could have slept-walked through just a few years ago. Tyson has been misdirected since lsoing his last fight to Kevin McBride in an early rounds KO loss. last year's "Mike Tyson" Goodwill Tour" didn't generate much Pay-Per-View heat and was sidelined after just a few bookings. Since then, Tyson's only legitimate income has come from training for the public in a makeshift Las Vegas boxing ring, and from public appearances booked in Europe.

What happens at this point is anyone's guess. Vegas odds say that come 20 August, Tyson will trade in his civilian clothes for a set of prison coveralls and a plea-bargain of guilty with hopes of getting out on the tank early on good behavior. At that time Tyson will be about 43 years old. Still younger than a good number of boxers currently earning a living in the ring today.