Jeff Fenech has claimed that Mike Tyson got his face tattoo because 'he didn't really want to fight' and left the trainer in tears, before the heavyweight changed his mind.
The former three weight world champion Fenech was part of Tyson's team in 2003 for the 'Most Dangerous Man on the Planet's' fight against Clifford Etienne.
However just a week before the fight Tyson arrived at training with his face tattoo, which made Fenech think that the fight would be off, and part of the reason the heavyweight got the ink done was to avoid the fight.
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"My first impression was that I've never had a tattoo in my life, but I thought we are fighting in a week and when you get a tattoo you can't fight because they scab up and it wouldn't be healthy to do that," Fenech told Fox Sports.
"We sat down and spoke and he didn't really want to fight and he wasn't prepared to and that was one of the reasons he got the tattoo.
"After a good hour talk I was in tears when I left the house that night. I went and stayed in a hotel because I was pretty despondent.
"I was away from home for eight weeks in Vegas getting him ready for the fight and I stayed in a hotel and got on the first flight back to my family because that was my priority."
However following Fenech's talk with the former heavyweight world champion the boxer obviously changed his mind because the fight went ahead.
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Just eight months after losing to Lennox Lewis, Tyson was victorious against Etienne, winning in just 49 seconds, in what would be his final win.
"A week later he fought and knocked out Clifford in one round and I was upset," Fenech added after seeing Freddie Roach in the legendary boxer's corner for the knockout victory, "I was happy for Mike that he won, but I was also upset that I had trained him for eight weeks and I wasn't a part of that win."
Tyson later lost his final two fights, against Danny Williams and Kenny McBride, before retiring aged nearly 39, with a record of 50 wins, 44 by knockout, and six losses.
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Perhaps he would have been better sticking to his original decision not to fight Etienne, despite the win, or at least bowing out after reaching a half century of wins.
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