NEW YORK -- Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is putting together a new management team that has no place for manager Bill Cayton, and may exclude promoter Don King and trainer Kevin Rooney as well.
Tyson, trying to break his contract with Cayton, Monday said he wants to manage his own career and will set up a board to advise him on boxing and businesss affairs.
Tyson already has enlisted billionaire real-estate developer Donald Trump as an advisor. Trump joined the board of Mike Tyson Enterprises, a corporation set up by Tyson, his wife Robin Givens, mother-in-law Ruth Roper and attorney Michael Winston.
Trump, Givens, Roper and Winson flanked the 22-year-old champion Monday at Trump's Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Tyson said he will rely on them for advice, but the decisions will be his.
'I called this press conference to set the record straight,' said Tyson, who knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds June 27. 'I love my family,they're with me to the end. But I call all the shots. My wife didn't file suit against Bill Cayton, I did. I want to manage my career my own self.
'I don't like the agreement I have with Bill Cayton. And I don't like the attitude he has toward me and my family. He wants all the power; he wants control of everything. He never takes a punch and he never sweated a day in his life.'
Tyson filed suit against Cayton in New York Supreme Court the day of the Spinks fight, seeking to break his managerial contract and deny Cayton his one-third cut of the champion's $21 million purse.
Cayton insists he will remain Tyson's manager through the rest of the contract, which he says runs until 1992. There is a hearing Tuesday on a restraining order Tyson requested to prevent Cayton from acting as his manager or receiving money from the Spinks fight.
'I think the courts will find my contracts are fully enforceable and I intend to enforce them,' Cayton said from his New York office. 'We're going to be in a lawsuit next Tuesday. I would rather not comment, because I have been advised not to say anything. I will hold anything I have to say until after the lawsuit.'
Trump's Atlantic City, N.J., casino has staged four of Tyson's fights, and Trump paid $11 million to hold the Tyson-Spinks fight. Trump said he will not insist Tyson fight at his casino.
'I don't care where he fights,' Trump said. 'Whether it's with us or Las Vegas. I'm a friend and an adviser. Mike will call his own shots.'
Trump said he will work for a fee to be donated to charity.
Tyson is 35-0 with 31 knockouts. After beating Spinks he said he might not fight again, but apparently he has decided to resume his career.
'I wouldn't say I'm retired,' he said. 'I love to fight. But this (retirement) is something I have to consider.'
Tyson said he was 'not sure' if he would fight Frank Bruno in England Sept. 3 as scheduled.
Winston said Tyson is interviewing candidates to serve on the board of Mike Tyson Enterprises, but only Trump has been asked to join. Tyson said no decision has been made on Jose Torres, the former light heavyweight champ who is writing Tyson's biography and reportedly would be asked to become part of the managerial team.
Tyson said Cayton was 'totally out of the picture.' King, who has promoted all Tyson's title fights but has no contract with the fighter, and Rooney, Tyson's trainer for his entire pro career, are unsure of where they stand with Tyson.
'Don King is just a promoter,' Tyson said. 'We're dealing with the highest bidder.'
Tyson is angry at Rooney over remarks the trainer made supporting Cayton.
'I'm going to talk to him about it,' Tyson said. 'Anybody who goes against me can't be associated with me.'
Winston and Trump said they were unhappy with Cayton because Tyson had no legal counsel when he signed a contract with Cayton and Jim Jacobs in February. Jacobs, who was close to Tyson, died in March, leaving Cayton the manager.
