Expletive-filled Tyson rant at live TV news anchor

Mike Tyson directed an expletive-filled rant at a Canadian television anchor in a live interview after the host brought up the former heavyweight champion’s conviction for sexual assault.

CP24 news anchor Nathan Downer asked Tyson about his meeting with Toronto’s scandal-plagued mayor Rob Ford, who recently returned to work after a rehab stint.

The interview took place before Ford was admitted to a hospital with what is believed to be a tumour in his abdomen. Ford is seeking re-election.

Downer asked: “Some of your critics would say: ‘There’s a race for mayor. We know you’re a convicted rapist. This could hurt his campaign.’ How would respond to that?”

Tyson called Downer negative before saying: “It’s so interesting, you come off like a nice guy,” then insulted the anchor with a string of profanity. Downer put up his hands and said: “Hey, come on. We’re doing live TV now.”

Tyson responded: “I don’t care. What are you going to do about it?”

Downer then asked Tyson about his one-man show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.

Downer then asked Tyson if it is more nerve-wracking appearing on stage than boxing. Tyson responded that it was more nerve-wracking to appear on the news show, before insulting Downer again.

“Come on, Mike,” Downer responded.

Tyson insulted him again before Downer wrapped up the interview and thanked Tyson for coming, even as the boxer swore at him.

Tyson served three years of a six-year sentence in the 1990s for raping a teenage beauty pageant contestant.

Rueben Devlin, from Humber Regional Hospital in the city, said Ford had been complaining of abdominal pains for three months and that an examination had resulted in a working diagnosis of a tumour.

He said the pains had worsened in the previous 24 hours. “It became unbearable for him,” he added.

Ford, 45, rose to prominence last year after he acknowledged using crack in a “drunken stupor” following months of denials.

The mayor returned to work in June after a rehab stint for drug and alcohol abuse and is running for re-election on October 27.