Tyson Sued By Two Women

by Pedro Fernandez

A pair of Washington D.C. area women have lodged a $22 million lawsuit against suspended boxer Mike Tyson Monday. They claim in their filing papers that the former champ grabbed one of them before cussing out the other.

Maniac Mike then supposedly overturned a table before one of the alleged victims hurled hot coffee at Tyson to prevent his further attacking them at a Washington eatery in the early hours of March 1.

A former resident of the Indiana Youth Center, where he was incarcerated for three years for rape, Tyson was said to have flipped out when he learned one of the ladies was a prison guard.

Iron Mike's new P.R. guy Jeff Wald put it this way. "We think it was a total setup for money." Tyson's lawyer, John Branca also said that his new client is innocent and that the witnesses present will attest to such. "We expect a countersuit."

The plaintiffs are Sherry Cole and Chevelle Butts.

According to their attorney A Dwight Pettit. "These women were put through a horrendous ordeal, cursed, verbally abused in front of a fully packed restaurant."

This all supposedly started when Mike blew a lightning bolt while eating breakfast with the women who were guests of comic Michael Colyar. They say he overturned a table and began swearing at Butts who then flung coffee at him.

Tyson is alleged to have taken his ballistic behavior to another level when Butts identified herself as a prison guard. The plaintiff's lawyer also contends Tyson threw some bread at a customer who was taking pictures of the incident.

As for not criminal charges, Pettit said. "They were very much concerned that they were not the cause of him having any other criminal difficulties, regardless of what happened to them."

This is the latest of a string of incidents that seem to follow the former champion whenever he's out past his bedtime. The 4 AM street fight with Mitch "Blood" Green in Harlem is just one of the times late night Mikie got in trouble.

In 1988 Sandra Miller took asserted Tyson reached under her dress at a disco. A jury found for her and awarded $100. Tyson's ex-wife Robbin' Givens' aide Phyllis Polaner filed a suit in 1990 claiming sexual assault. The matter has yet to be litigated.

This could be taken in two ways. Either Mike is the sexual predator many women have alleged over the years. Or he's being framed.

What do you think?

Pedro Fernandez

the writer can be reached at flash@inow.com