Boxer Mike Tyson is under lock and key again. But this time it is to prevent others from getting in. Trainer Freddie Roach said he makes sure the gym doors are bolted before every sparring session to stop Tyson’s infamous group of hangers-on from interfering with his training. “Mike drives himself to the gym and we lock the doors and go to work,” said roach yesterday. adding, “There are only four guys in the gym every day. I told Mike on the phone before we got started that I heard he had a big entourage and he got rid of all those guys. He doesn’t have guys hanging around who can interfere.” Roach said Tyson is keeping himself busy as he prepares for his heavyweight fight against Clifford ’Black Rhino’ Etienne on February 22 in Memphis, Tennessee. Roach feels this is a make or break fight for Tyson that will determine whether or not the former heavyweight champion has a future in the sport. “If he goes in against The Rhino and doesn’t perform well it might be time for Mike to think about doing something else,” said Roach. Roach also told reporters about Tyson’s current training schedule, saying that Tyson is running four miles and working out for two hours in the ring each day. “He told me this is the first time he has wanted to fight since he got out of jail,” said Roach. “I think he was just going through the motions before. Mike has always done better when he is busy. Downtime is a bad time for him.” This will be the first fight for Tyson (49-4, 43 kos), since he was pummelled last year by heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. “After the first round against Lewis he seemed to give up. It didn’t seem like the same Mike Tyson as before. My biggest question before we started training together was does he have it anymore?”
