Tyson Flat In Sparring Exhibition Unimpressive In First Open Training Session For Bruno

Frank Bruno might have liked what he saw had he ventured by Mike Tyson’s workout Friday.

Tyson’s trainer, Jay Bright, didn’t.

“He was just flat,” Bright said after cutting Tyson’s sparring session against Jose Ribalta short after four rounds. “He’s capable of doing more, but today he was just flat.”

Tyson was indeed flat after emerging from his closed training camp to spar before the media for the first time since he began training for next Saturday’s fight against Bruno for the WBC heavyweight title.

Though he fought fairly well in brief flurries, Tyson showed little sustained effort and never came close to either knocking down or overwhelming his sparring partner.

“The main thing is, Mike has to be told the truth,” Bright said. “You can’t sugarcoat it after something like today.”

Tyson hit Ribalta, a journeyman who Bruno knocked out in the second round of a 1992 fight, with the first right hand he threw in the steamy tent in the parking lot of the MGM Grand Hotel. But that was about the extent of the excitement during the 12 minutes in the ring.

Tyson, who has gone less than four full rounds in his two fights since being released from prison a year ago, is still an 8-1 favorite against Bruno, who he knocked out in the fifth round of their first fight in 1989.

Bruno was supposed to have followed Tyson’s workout with a session of his own, but the British champion cancelled it.