Iron Mike settled all the questions with Donovan Ruddock when they met for the second time at The Mirage in Nevada on 28th June 1991. He was two days short of his twenty-fifth birthday. In July, however, law enforcement authorities arrested Tyson on charges of assaulting a young upcoming model, Desiree Washington, at a hotel in Indianapolis. The trial for the case began in January of the following year. The court held Iron Mike guilty. But, awaiting the final quantum of sentence, Mike wished for a reduced prison term. And he was willing to go to any lengths to ensure he was out of the prison most expeditiously.

A pigeon and an egg to rescue The Baddest Man on the Planet

More than a decade later, in 2013, Mike Tyson, now retired for good, released his memoir Undisputed Truth. He wrote the book in collaboration with Larry Sloman, a New York-based author. In the third page of the book’s prologue, Iron Mike sheds some light on the shamanistic steps he took to receive a short sentence.

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He wrote about visiting the courthouse along with a Santeria priest. They had an egg and a pigeon in their possession.

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Also known as Regla De Ocha, Regla Lucumi, or simply Lucumi, Santaria originated in Cuba during the 19th century. The Yoruba religion of West Africa, Roman Catholicism, and spirit-based beliefs all contributed to its development.

Once inside, Mike ‘dropped‘ the egg on the court floor, and setting the bird free, he shouted, “We’re free!”

The wizardry behind Mike Tyson’s early release

Desiree Washington was an eighteen-year aspiring model. In July 1991, she was in Indianapolis to participate in the Miss Black America pageant. Mike Tyson was one of the guests at the beauty contest. 

Judge Patricia J. Gifford handed down a 10-year sentence. With the final four years lifted, Mike Tyson came out in 1995, serving less than three years.

Mike Tyson mentions in Undisputed Truth, “Calvin, my close friend from Chicago, told me about some hoodoo woman who could cast a spell to keep me out of jail.” 

Accordingly, Iron Mike had to fill a jar with his urine. Then, after putting some five hundred dollars in it, the pot was to be kept away free for three days. Finally, the woman had to pray for the spell to work.

In the end, even Tyson, despite being a bit of a spendthrift, found that to be excessive. Later he rejected a voodoo priest who “…wanted [Tyson] to wash in some weird oil and pray and drink some special water…”

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Finally, in the end, none of the measures he took worked.