I had to leave Mike Tyson's fight camp - I couldn't believe what he'd done

In an astonishing move just days before a scheduled boxing bout, Mike Tyson's former trainer had to leave the fight camp after the illustrious boxer decided to get a tattoo on his face.

The year was 2003, and following his defeat by Lennox Lewis in 2002, Tyson returned triumphantly to the ring to secure a win against Clifford Etienne in less than sixty seconds in Memphis.

While impressive, it's the last-minute facial tattoo that remains an enduring talking point of that fight, slotting itself into the narrative as the last win of his legendary career. Just seventy-two hours prior to the event, Tyson surprised not only the world but even his closest team by having a Maori-inspired design inked onto his visage.

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His close friend and former world champion in two divisions, Jeff Fenech, was at the helm of Tyson's training for the match but believed the fresh ink signaled a cancellation was imminent, and without hesitation, booked a flight back to Australia.

"This guy's just got this crazy tattoo on his face," he said during a candid chat with Mirror Fighting, prior to Tyson's dust-up with Jake Paul in Dallas slated for November 15. "I was like, 'How's he going to fight with this fresh tattoo on his face? ' And he told me he didn't want to fight, so I jumped on a plane and went home."

Fate had other plans however, and notwithstanding the sudden crew change, the fight proceeded with Freddie Roach stepping in for Fenech. On the sequence of events, Fenech elaborated: "Three days later, he weighs in and fights.."

It seems broadcaster Showtime and