Tyson denies allegations he struck woman in Italy

By Helen Kennedy
New York Daily News
Posted August 17 2005


Mike Tyson is denying charges that he grabbed a woman off an Italian dance floor, dragged her to his yacht and pummeled her when she refused to indulge in sex and drugs.

Police questioned Tyson after he returned to his yacht Summer Wind after he had spent the night at a disco on the Italian island of Panarea, just off the coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean, and the former heavyweight champion cooperated with officers.

"He was more than happy to talk to police and invited the officers on board, saying he was a `good boy' and not a `killer,'" an Italian police officer told the Scotsman newspaper.

A magistrate is considering whether to bring charges, the paper reported.

Florence Botoli, 33, a Cameroonian who lives in Nice, France, told police she was dancing with friends at the Billionaire nightclub in Sardinia on Aug. 6 when Tyson allegedly grabbed her.

Paris Hilton was at a nearby table, minus her fiance, but Tyson apparently didn't recognize her when she waved, the La-Stampa newspaper reported.

Botoli alleged Tyson, 39, brought her to the 100-foot yacht and punched her when she refused to do drugs and have sex with him.

"Tyson kept shouting at me until his bodyguard told him to calm down and stop because he was going over the top," she reportedly told police, according to the Scotsman.

She said a bodyguard helped smuggle her off the yacht in a dinghy and she went to the emergency room at Olbia Hospital in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. The incident was not made public until a Sardinian paper broke the news over the weekend.

Tyson's lawyer could not be reached, and his manager did not return phone calls.

They don't have newpapers or TV over there? Someone need to tell this woman that Tyson is BROKE.

She should have targeted Paris.. ;D

Nothing is surprising with Mike anymore, nor is any of his nonsense news worth any longer.

What a terrible ending it has been for what would have gone down as the greatest heavyweight champ in history next to Rocky Marciano.

Too bad Cuss D'amato had to die, he's probably rolling over in his casket. >:(

SigEp77 said

Nothing is surprising with Mike anymore, nor is any of his nonsense news worth any longer.

Maybe he'll be a champ of another sort now, as Tyson is now racing pigeons:

ESPN Story

Sorry to dig up this old thread, couldn't find anything more current…

The story is a little old as well (March), but just heard about it…….