3.5 stars.
It took a lot of guts for Tyson to face the truth of his life much less put it out there for all to see. This is a look into the real person that is Mike Tyson with all his faults, flaws, and sense of humor. It didn’t feel as if he was trying to justify his life or actions, just informing or explaining what he’s been through and what he’s learned from the experiences. You’ll read about things you know, and wished to know. I got the feeling he hid nothing and faced it all. On a personal level I’m proud of his years of sobriety and facing his demons. I lived through my mother’s struggle to accomplish the same thing and it was no easy feat as it continues to be on a daily basis for anyone who tries to live a life of sobriety.

(I received a copy from publisher for an honest review.) ( )

Undisputed Truth by Mike Tyson is a hefty autobiography that might be the most soul baring book of its genre ever written. It is a brutally honest and a revealing memoir which chronicles the hits and misses of Tyson’s life, so painful at times but not without its fair share of humor. Its rawness is unparalleled for an autobiography. His brutality on people he deemed dishonest with him is blunt. He picks the infamous promoter Don King for a word-bite calling him "a slimy reptilian.” He writes, “When I think about all the horrific things that Don has done to me over the years I still feel like killing him."

He unleashes a barrage of attacks on his ex-wife Robin Givens, who he calls, "a manipulative shrew who could bring me to my knees." Tyson alleged Givens faked pregnancy as she was "on the prowl for a big Black celebrity." Tyson writes, "She was supposedly three months pregnant when we got married. Now it was June, and she hadn't gained a pound, so the next thing I knew she was in bed and claimed she had miscarried our baby." Writing about the mother-daughter duo, Tyson describes them as "two broke charlatans," "con artists" and "borderline prostitutes."

Significantly, Tyson insisted he is innocent of the 1992 rape conviction. Tyson writes, "I did not rape Desiree Washington." He asks, "How do you rape someone when they come to your hotel room at two in the morning?" Though Tyson is known to have been a womanizer, his candid admission of it is a bit of a surprise. The many women in Tyson's life flow in and out of the pages like they did in his life. Even inside prison Tyson smuggled women into the facility and even had a months-long affair with his prison drug counselor who suddenly became available after Tyson had $10,000 sent to her home to fix her roof. There is too much of his sex life. I think it is overplayed. It makes an enjoyable memoir look like an adult movie.

From his early childhood days as a thug to his transformation as the “undisputed” world heavyweight boxing champion to his fall, and disgrace, Undisputed Truth” covers it all. It is glaring, straightforward, and open.

Now 47 years old, he still hopes for a happy ending, but he knows it is going to be a difficult one. He ends, "I can't help anyone if I'm not well myself, and I desperately want to get well. I have a lot of pain and I just want to heal. And I'm going to do my best to do just that. One day at a time."

A memoir like this doesn't come around very often. Much of what we often see does not peel off the layers. Undisputed Truth is inside-out. Don't miss it! ( )

I just finished Mike Tyson’s memoir “Undisputed Truth”. I am glad I read it and I do recommend it. It is 552 pages long not including the Epilogue. It is an easy read but takes several days because it is so long. It could and should have been shorter. The language of the book is the language of the street and the reader should expect a lot of profanity.
That being said, let me tell you some of the highlights and my impressions. It is an honest book I think and he tells the kind of life he lived without sugar coating. For the boxing aficionado, he goes into a lot of detail about his relationship with Cus D’Amato and the art of boxing. That part was good reading.
He tells about his early life of being in an alcoholic home without a father and being traumatized by beatings, something that no doubt lead to his later alcoholism and drug addiction. He is honest about his juvenile delinquency and sums it up pretty good on page 36 saying , “I did a lot of bad sh**”.
He goes into detail about his highly publicized relationship with Robin Givens and her mother. He sums it by saying “I was traumatized by the relationship. Those were cold broads.”
He goes into tremendous detail about his rape conviction involving Desiree Washington. He would have us believe that he was an innocent victim. Maybe. In my opinion, he doesn’t quit pull it off, although he did succeed in planting some doubt in my mind that he was guilty. He also portrays himself as a victim of racism:
“I knew I was supposed to be convicted, that was just how the system worked. I’m a descendant of slaves. That people can respect me as a human being, to this day, is something that I have doubts about. I was the nigga and that cowboy prosecutor was going to put his spurred cowboy boots in my face.”
That doesn’t quite succeed either as he seemed to me more a victim of his own foolishness.
Much of the rest of the book is spent detailing a life of debauchery, cocaine addiction, and occasional acts of violence. Incredible wealth and fame seemed to open wide the doors of sin for him and he entered into it with abandon. There is a good expose of Don King the fight promoter as well as a good look at how opportunists take advantage of the legal system to try and fleece celebrities. At times the constant descriptions of partying and excess wear a little thin and it could all of been said in a shorter amount of time. But his journey is the familiar journey of all addicts sinking lower and lower. Along the way he introduces us to some individuals who begin to help and steer him into a better path.
The book is at its best when he talks about the pain and heartache of losing his 4 year daughter. We begin to see the human side of him and not just a lecher. We hear about his involvement with AA and a slow process of maturity. Towards the end he gets married and paints himself as a committed family man. There are signs of real spiritual growth::
“People often ask me what I regret in my life . I regret sleeping with all those women. I used to brag about that but now I’m so embarrassed by my conquests”
In the end of the book in the postscript Mike admits he slipped in August of 2013. At this writing he has been clean about 90 days or so, and is still struggling. Remember him in your prayers.
Ted Adamson
Author of “Up from Down- a True Story of recovery from Addiction” ( )